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MEMOIR 

OF 

THOMAS HARDY, 

FOUNDER OF, AND SECRETARY TO, 

THE 

LONDON CORRESPONDING SOCIETY, 

FOR 

DIFFUSING USEFUL POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE 

AMONG THE 

PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND, 

AND FOR 

PROMOTING PARLIAMENTARY REFORM, 

From its Establishment, in Jan. 1792, 

UNTIL HIS ARREST, ON A 

FALSE CHARGE OF HIGH TREASON, 

On the 12th of May, 1794. 



WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 



He was a man, from vice and folly free — 
No danger could his steady soul appal ; 
No slave to prejudice or passion, he 
Esteem'd his fellow-men as brethren all. 

Integrity his shield, and Truth his guide, 
Unaw'd, he laboured in his Country's cause ; 
For that he liv'd, for that he would have died, 
A Martyr to her liberty and laws ; — 
Firm to his purpose, virtuously severe. 
He fearM his God, but had no other fear. 

D. Macpherson. 



LONDON : 
JAMES RIDGWAY, PICCADILLY 




M.DCCC. XXXII. 






TILLING, PRINTER) CHELSEA. 



TO 



SIR FRANCIS BURDETT, Bart. M.P, 



THE FOLLO^VXNa MEMOIR 



DEDICATED 



HIS GRATEFUL AND MUCH 



OBLIGED SERVANT, 

THOMAS HARDY. 



ADVERTISEMENT 



The duty now devolves upon me, of informing the reader, 
that Mr. Hardy, having lived to see the last sheet of his Me- 
moir from the press, breathed his last, about eight o'clock on 
the morning of Thursday, the 11th instant, at his apartments, 
30, Queen's Row, Pimlico. 

His extreme temperance, added to a strong and robust con- 
stitution, preserved him, through a long life, from many of 
those chronic disorders which, too often, embitter the lives of 
men of different habits. Some time before he retired from busi- 
ness, in 1815, his health suffered from the anxiety attending a 
losing concern, but, as soon as that was got rid of, he reco- 
vered, and, with the exception of slight rheumatic pains, occa- 
sionally, in his legs, he continued almost free from bodily 
ailments until last year, when, going to the city in a stiff- 
springed omnibus ^ he was so violently shook, that it brought 
on a stranguary, which, after much suffering, proved fatal to 
him. 

From the beginning of the last severe attack, about three 
weeks ago, it became evident that he was approaching his end. 
Of this he himself was pei-fectly sensible, and his mind was 
prepared to meet it as became a man and a Christian. 

In his person, Mr. Hardy was of fine proportions, near six 
feet high, before he began to stoop ; large breasted, broad 
shouldered, and muscular, without the least inclination to 
corpulency. He was, indeed, such a man, in body and mind. 



VI ADVERTISEMENT. 

as we may suppose the patriots to have been who followed 
those immortal heroes, an Alfred and a Wallace, in their 
attempts to give freedom to their respective countries. 

In his manners he was mild, affable, and unassuming; and 
it may be safely affirmed, that he never made a personal enemy. 
The leading features of his character were moral courage, bene- 
volence, and integrity, from the practice of which virtues no 
worldly consideration could deter him, if he saw any chance of 
being useful to his fellow creatures. 

From vanity he was altogether free, his common saying- 
being, that the greatest talents, exercised under the controul 
of the best judgment, and for the best purposes, did not give a 
man a right to be vain, for, that when a man did all the good 
in his power, he did no more than his duty. He, however, 
allowed that the praise of good men is desirable, forasmuch as 
it confirms our own approbation of our own best actions. 

Ye vain, ye frivolous, ye prodigal, ye proud, behold this 
good man's mortal career, and learn to amend your lives, learn 
that man has not been created for himself alone, but for all 
mankind. Ye false patriots, think of him, blush, tremble, 
and reform. Ye true patriots, if a momentary temptation to 
waver should come across your minds, think of Thomas 
Hardy, and be firm. 

Ye who are called noble by descent or creation, contemplate 
the life of this man, '' who held the patent of his nobility im- 
mediately from Almighty God,"* and let your actions be suit- 
able to your exalted ranks ; learn that virtue is true nobility. 

D. MACPHERSON. 
October 16, 1832. 

* Burns. 



PREFACE. 



The greater part of the following Memoir was 
written upwards of thirty-four years ago. It 
was begun at the solicitation of some friends; 
but being too much engaged in business at that 
time to attend to it properly, I was obliged to 
lay it aside, and it remained in its hiding place 
until very lately. 

The London Corresponding Society did more 
in the eight or nine years of its existence, to 
diffuse political knowledge among the people 
of Great Britain and Ireland than all that had 
ever been done before. Its Members devoted 
themselves to the cause of justice and humanity. 
They laboured zealously, intrepidly, and ho- 
nestly, although they beheld the guilty arm of 
power suspended over their heads and ready 
to crush them, in order to promote the happiness 
of their fellow citizens. 

A correct history of such a Society, the 
present generation, — who are likely to reap the 
fruits of its labours — cannot but highly appreciate; 
and I am happy to say that such a work is 
in the course of preparation, by a Gentleman 



VUl PREFACE. 

every way we|l qualified for the task, — Mr. Francis 
Place, who has been upwards of twenty years 
collecting materials for it. 

It is for that reason that many things are 
omitted in the following Memoir, which would 
otherwise find a place in it ; but brief as 
these notices are, I earnestly hope they will 
excite the curiosity of the younger part of the 
present race to know something of the important 
Trials for High Treason, which took place near 
forty years ago, and the issue of which saved 
them from the most absolute and deplorable 
slavery being entailed upon them before they 
were born. 

I have chosen to write in the third, rather than 
in the first person, merely, to obviate the neces- 
sity of calling the great /so repeatedly to my 
assistance; though I do not, by any means, 
consider that, what is called, egotism consists 
in the use, but in the manner of using, that 
letter. 

THOMAS HARDY. 



MEMOIR 

OF 

THOMAS HARDY. 



As every man, whose actions, from whatever cause, 
have acquired publicity, is sure, in many things, to be 
misrepresented, such a man has an undoubted right, nay, 
it becomes his duty, to leave to posterity a true record 
of the real motives that influenced his conduct. The 
following Memoir, therefore, requires no apology, and 
none is offered. 

Thomas Hardy* was born in the parish of Larbert,f 

* The first of the name was a Frenchman, who was cup-bearer to 
John, King of France, and was taken prisoner along with that Monarch, 
by Edward the Black Prince, and brought to England. At an enter- 
tainment, the King of England desired his cup-bearer to fill a cup of 
wine to the worthiest in company, upon which he presented it to his 
own master. The cup-bearer to the King of France, taking this as an 
insult offered to his master, struck the English cup-bearer a blow on the 
ear, upon which the King of France called out trop^ trop, Hardie ; but the 
King of England exclaimed, sera deshormais Hardie ! Upon this he took 
the name of Hardie ; and the King of Scotland, who, at that time, was 
also prisoner in England, upon being set at liberty, carried him along with 
him to Scotland, and gave him the lands of Corregarff* in Mar, where 
they flourished, until a quarrel happening with the Clan of Grant, the 
Hardies murdered the Chief of that Clan, and, in consequence, their 
estates were forfeited. They were followers of the family of Huntly. 
Motto of the Hardies : — Sera deshormais Hardie. 

t About a mile from the forest of Torwood, famous in Scottish history 
as the place where, in the hollow trunk of an extraordinary large oak 
tree, many of the exploits of that great man and true patriot, Sir William 
Wallace, were planned. The writer remembers having often visited 

B 



2 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

in Stirlingshire, in Scotland, on the 3rd day of March, 
1752. His Grandfather, Walter Hardy, was an Officer 
in the Army, in what is called the German war, bat with 
what rank the writer could not learn. Before he became 
a soldier he had a small estate, consisting of some houses, 
both in Edinburgh and Falkirk, which he mortgaged, and 
was never able to redeem.* 

His Father, whose name was also Walter, was bred to 
a sea-faring life in the merchants' service. He married a 
respectable woman, whose relations were numerous and 
respectable, and for several years followed his profession 
with such diligence, that it was supposed when he died, 
on a homeward voyage from America, he left enough to 
enable his widow and three children to live comfortably in 
that cheap part of the country. 

The death of Walter Hardy happened in 1760, when 
his eldest son, Thomas, was no more than eight years of 
age ; and, unfortunately, as is too frequently the case, his 
affairs having got into bad hands, his widow found her- 
self unable to give Thomas an education suitable to the 
clerical profession, according to the original intentions of 
her deceased husband and herself. 

Her Father, Thomas Walker, a shoemaker by trade, 
on learning the hapless state of Mrs. Hardy's affairs, took 
Thomas under his own care and protection, and put him 
to school to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. At 

Wallace's tree, above sixty years ago ; and he has learnt, with regret, that 
a Goth, into whose hands the estate fell, has since destroyed every 
vestige of it. 

* His Grandson, Thomas, who was his legal heir, after he came of age, 
took some measures to recover them : with this view he had some com- 
munications with Mr. Livingston, the person on whom they devolved 
after the death of him who had advanced the money on them ; but not 
being in circumstances to incur law expenses, he was obliged to give the 
matter up, although the first professional gentlemen, both in Stirling and 
Edinburgh, assured him that the case was quite clear. 



MEMOIR Ol- THOMAS HARDY. .i 

that time the price of tuition was no more than a penny a 
week ; before he left school it rose to three-halfpence, and 
now it is a shilling. 

When he arrived at a proper age, his Grandfather 
taught him his own business. After having learnt as 
much as he could from his kind relative, he went to 
Glasgow, that beautiful and populous city, to improve 
himself in his trade. At that period the traffic between 
that city and America was very great, and many adven- 
turers went and established manufactories of various 
kinds. One of these adventurers, a Mr. Ingram, who had 
projected a shoe factory at Norfolk, in Virginia, was 
returned, principally with a view of engaging workmen to 
go out with him. 

He engaged many ; and Thomas Hardy entered into an 
agreement with him to superintend the concern for five 
years. The terms were flattering ; the agreement was 
signed on both sides, and they were to embark in a few 
days ; but his relations interfered and prevented his going, 
urging that he could not legally enter into an agreement, 
being then under twenty-one years of age. Very soon 
after, the town of Norfolk was burnt to ashes, in one of 
the mad fits of the British Government, in the beginning 
of the American war. His first project being thus 
frustrated, he left Glasgow, and went to the iron works at 
Carron, where he followed the bricklaying business for 
some time. The Carron Company having just then 
established their manufactory for cast iron, were much in 
want of hands to carry on their buildings, and gave great 
encouragement to bricklayers. While here working with 
several others, on the second story of a large house that 
was being built for Mr. Roebuck, one of the proprietors, 
an accident happened that had nearly cost him his life ; 
the scaffold gave way, and th^y were precipitated into the 
cellar, covered with boards, bricks, and mortar. One man 

b2 



4 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

was killed, and others much hurt: Hardy was carried 
home, much bruised ; but with proper care he soon re- 
covered^ but returned no more to the bricklaying 
business. 

He recommenced the trade of shoemaking with James 
Wilson, who had just settled in that part of the country 
from London ; and having much conversation with his 
master about the metropolis, his curiosity was excited, 
and he determined to see it. With that view, he engaged 
a passage on board the Stirling, Carron smack, Stewart 
Boyd master, and, in eleven days, arrived in London, 
23rd April, 1774, where he was a total stranger, with no 
more than eighteen-pence in his pocket : however, before 
that was expended, he found employment. He had a 
letter of introduction from his late master, to Mr. John 
Kerr, a most worthy character, with whom he lodged the 
first night, and with whom, and with his amiable family, 
he maintained afterwards the most friendly intercourse. 
The acquaintance of Mr. Kerr procured him that of 
others, of dispositions and turns of mind similar to his 
own. Hardy was, from his earliest years, of a sedate and 
serious turn of mind ; avoiding all those scenes of dissi- 
pation, which, too often, lead astray the youthful and 
unwary, to the ruin of both their morals and their con- 
stitutions. It must, however, be owned, that a disposi- 
tion to what is falsely called a life of pleasure, affords 
adventures, which, when afterwards related, conduce 
greatly to the entertainment of certain readers ; but such 
as peruse these pages must expect nothing of the kind. 

The life of a plain industrious citizen affords nothing of 
the light or the ludicrous circumstances which compose a 
great part of the frivolous reading of the present day. 

Being of a contemplative and serious turn of mind, 
Hardy, soon after his settling in London, became ac- 
quainted with many of the middle and lower classes of 



MKMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY 



Dissenters : among these he had a number of highly 
respected and intimate friends, by whom he was much 
valued on account of his peaceable disposition and suavity 
of manners. He became, and continued many years, a 
member of the congregation which met in Crown Court, 
Russell Street, Covent Garden, under the ministry of 
Mr. Cruden. In \7bi, some transactions, to which he 
was a party, took place in that congregation, and which 
may not be improper here briefly to relate. The Society 
was a numerous and highly respectable one, and paid 
their Pastor a considerable salary. At this period a 
vacancy occurred, by the death of Mr. Cruden, and can- 
didates from various parts of England and Scotland, con- 
tinued, for near two years, to preach in their turns with 
little approbation. One, however, at length appeared, 
who gave great satisfaction to the people, a Mr. James 
Chambers, from Scotland, a very eloquent and powerful 
preacher. Hardy, being zealously attached to the con- 
gregation, and having its interest much at heart, observed, 
with regret, that many of the members were leaving it, 
on account of its unsettled state. He, therefore, wrote 
privately to Mr. Chambers, to know if he would accept a 
call, if one were given him. Mr. Chambers replied by letter 
in the affirmative, provided the call was signed by a majority 
of the whole body. He communicated this circumstance 
to a friend ; and they having consulted two or three 
others, again wrote to him, and again received a satis- 
factory reply. They then called a meeting of as many 
as they could inform of the business. The meeting was 
held in a large private room, and a greater number 
attended than was expected from so short a notice. 
Hardy was appointed chairman, and he opened the 
business by informing them, in a few words, the purpose 
for which they were called together. After a good deal 

b3 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

of conversation, Ihey adjourned, having appointed another 
meeting, which was still more numerously attended. At 
that meeting a deputation was appointed to wait upon the 
Elders or Managers, to request that they would call a 
general meeting of the Church, to consider the pro- 
priety of giving Mr. Chambers a call. 

With this request the Elders refused to comply, 
alledging, or, at least, insinuating, that there was some- 
thing wrong in his character ; but what it was they would 
not satisfy the deputation. By the people, who very much 
esteemed Mr. Chambers, this was deemed calumny; and 
the consequence was, that the congregation became divided 
into two parties, the Elders, and their adherents on the 
one side, and the friends of Chambers, the greater 
number, on the other, 

A correspondence was commenced immediately with 
many Ministers and others in Scotland, who knew 
Chambers, in order to learn if his moral character was 
good ; and many certificates of his unblemished reputation 
were received. 

In the mean time, the Elders were ransacking all 
quarters, in order to discover something to justify them in 
their objections, and to verify their insinuations : and 
they, at last, succeeded in discovering that he had two 
wives then living, one in Scotland, and another in Eng- 
land. Upon this, a meeting of both parties was thought 
requisite, and also to have Mr. Chambers present, that the 
affair might be publicly and properly discussed. The 
result was, that both sides became pretty well satisfied of 
the truth of what had been alledged against Chambers. 
Thus ended a controversy, which had been carried on 
smartly for nearly two years, and which had threatened 
the dissolution of the Society; the people contending 
that they had a right to the man of their choice, and the 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 7 

Elders as strenuously resisting that right. This circum- 
stance illustrates the saying, ** how small a spark kindleth 
a great fire." 

Another disagreeable circumstance happened one 
Sunday at the Chapel of the same congregation, of which 
Hardy was also the innocent cause. Happening to meet 
Lord George Gordon, with whom he was intimate, he 
asked his Lordship to come next Sunday, to hear a young 
man from the Highlands of Scotland, preach. Lord 
George said he would, and seemed even anxious to hear 
him; but it happened, through some accident or disap- 
pointment, that Mr. Bean, the gentleman of whom Hardy 
spoke, did not preach that day, but another in his place, 
who was not very acceptable to the congregation. 

This man read his sermon in a monotonous manner, 
and without the least animation, which so displeased 
Lord George, that he interrupted him in the midst of 
his discourse, by telling him, that it was contrary to the 
rules of the Kirk of Scotland for the Minister to read his 
sermon from the pulpit ; and this he proceeded to prove 
from the Confession of Faith, and Directory for public 
worship. 

However lightly they might have thought of the 
preacher, so extraordinary an interruption gave great 
offence to many of the congregation, and much confusion 
consequently ensued. Lord George knew no person 
present, very few of them knew him, and, unfortunately, 
Hardy happened to be detained at home by the illness of 
one of bis family. Lord George seeing none whom he 
knew, called loudly for Hardy, who had invited him 
there, and who he supposed had played him a trick ; the 
congregation, on the other hand, thought that Hardy had 
sent Lord George to the meeting to create a disturbance, 
so that poor Hardy between them was in an awkward 
situation ; yet it must be confessed, though he was per- 

b4 



8 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

fectly ignorant and innocent of the whole affair, that the 
conclusion which each of the parties had drawn, though 
hasty, was not unreasonable. 

Hardy, as already mentioned, was very intimate 
with Lord George Gordon, but was, by no means, an 
approver of any of his wild schemes : so far from it, that 
he often told him, with honest bluntness, both verbally and 
by letter, how much he differed from him in opinion on 
many subjects. Nevertheless, he always entertained, and 
expressed a sincere respect for the many virtues, and 
amiable qualities of that misguided, but much injured 
man ; and was of opinion, that his life fell a sacrifice to 
the malice of his persecutors. Here, however, it may 
not, perhaps, be prudent to state who they were, whether 
ecclesiastical or political, or probably both. 

At the period of his arrival in London, the American 
war was commenced, and then, as well as now, politics 
were the general topics of conversation in almost every 
company. His heart always glowed with the love of 
freedom, and was feelingly alive to the sufferings of his 
fellow creatures. He listened with attention to the 
arguments he heard advanced for and against the conduct 
of the Administration towards the Colonies ; and as he was 
then unwilling to believe it as bad as it was represented 
by the partizans of the American people, he found him- 
self frequently involved in disputes in their defence. In 
those disputes, however, he felt rather diffident of his own 
knowledge on the subject. This was the state of his 
mind with respect to the American war, until he met with 
and read Dr. Price's celebrated Treatise on Civil Liberty. 
The arguments brought forward in that masterly work, 
were, to him, so convincing, that he found himself com- 
pelled to adopt its principles. He saw that it was not only 
necessary for the happiness of the trans-atlantic patriots 
themselves, that the struggle should terminate in their 



^m^ favou 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. i) 



favour ; but that even the future happiness of the whole 
human race was concerned in the event. From that 
moment he became one of the warmest and most sincere 
advocates for the right cause. 

In the year 1781, he married the youngest daughter of 
Mr. Priest, a carpenter and builder in Chesham, in 
Buckinghamshire, with whom he lived, in spite of all the 
tricks of fortune, in the most perfect state of connubial 
happiness. She bore him six children, who all died 
young — the last of them, still-born, found a grave with its 
hapless mother, who died on the 27th of August, 1794, in 
the unfortunate manner which shall be hereafter related. 
For many years after his marriage he followed his business 
with various success, and refused several advantageous 
offers which had been made to him if he would go to 
America ; but he was strongly attached to his native 
country, and besides something always happened, in a 
manner to him unaccountable, to overthrow every mo- 
mentary inclination of his own, and every effort of those 
who endeavoured to persuade him to emigrate. 

In the latter end of the year 1791, a proposal was 
made to him, as it was pretended, very much calculated 
to advance his circumstances, to enter into a partner- 
ship with a currier and a leather cutter, who undertook, 
if he would engage in the manufactory of boots and 
shoes, to furnish leather, and to find a market for as 
many as he should make. To this proposal he agreed, 
and for that purpose took the house, afterwards so ivell 
known. No. 9, Piccadilly, and began with that active 
industry which nothing could ever depress, to fulfil his 
part of the contract he had entered into ; when, lo \ one 
of those instances of treachery, too common, but too little 
attended to, in corrupt and luxurious communities, 
threatened to overwhelm him and his family in utter ruin. 
Before he was well settled in the house he had engaged. 



10 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

his pretended friends deserted him, broke through the 
agreement they had made, sent in their bills at a short 
date, which, to avoid law expenses, he paid when due. 
The only excuse that can be offered for such conduct is, 
that their own affairs were not so prosperous as they 
expected. In this affair he experienced the great value 
of a good character; for having no capital of his own, he 
must, unavoidably, have given up business, had not unso- 
licited friendship come forward, with timely aid, which 
enabled him to carry on his trade until the memorable 
period at which he was arrested for High Treason, which 
circumstance shall be more particularly noticed presently. 

However, notwithstanding every personal effort of his 
own, and the support of his friends, he soon began to feel 
the heavy pressure of the daily accumulating taxes, and 
the consequent rise in the prices of all the necessaries of 
life. He knew the country to be productive, and its 
inhabitants to be industrious and ingenious ; therefore, 
the distress which he saw every where around him could 
not arise from the fault of the soil, or of those who 
occupied it, and the cause must be sought for somewhere 
else. It required no extraordinary penetration, once the 
enquiry was begun, to be able to trace it to the corrupt 
practices of men falsely calling themselves the representa- 
tives of the people, but who were, in fact, selected by a 
comparatively few influential individuals, who preferred 
their own particular aggrandisement to the general interest 
of the community. 

The next enquiry naturally arose— Was the cause of 
the people hopeless ? Must they and their posterity 
for ever groan under this intolerable load ? Could not 
the nation, by a proper use of its moral powers, set itself 
free? Hardy thought it could; and he projected the 
plan of ** the London Corresponding Society," as a means 
of informing the people of the violence that had been 



MEMOIR or THOMAS HAIIUY. 11 

committed on their most sacred rights, and of uniting 
them in an endeavour to recover those rights. Why the 
Father of that Society remained unknown, except to two 
or three persons, until after the State Trials, is thus 
accounted for. He saw, with pleasure, that it was 
bidding fair to overturn a long established system of cor- 
ruption and oppression, and he was afraid that it might 
operate to its prejudice were it made publicly known, 
that so obscure an individual was its founder. He saw 
his intentions to do good in the course of being fulfilled, 
and he never had any vanity to gratify. He was often 
asked who began the Society, but for the above reason he 
always evaded the question. Some said it was J. Home 
Tooke; others, that it was Thomas Paine; but neither of 
them had any hand in it. 

So prevalent, however, was the opinion, that the At- 
torney General, in his opening speech, on Hardy's trial, 
made use of the following words, which may be found in 
the report of that trial, taken in short hand by Mr. 
Ramsay, and published by Mr. Ridgway, page 57. " The 
London Corresponding Society was modelled by some of 
the leading Members, and owes its corporate existence, 
and was formed under the Constitutional Society." It 
has been already shewn that this must have been an 
error ; for, in fact, the Constitutional Society had ceased 
its meetings for several years, and was not re-opened 
until three months after the London Corresponding 
Society had been modelled by Hardy, as above : and it 
was at their first meeting, after being re-opened, that they 
received a copy in manuscript of the address and resolu- 
lutions of the London Corresponding Society. The enve- 
lope was signed by Hardy, but the address itself had 
no signature ; and as the Constitutional Society resolved 
to publish it, it is probable that Mr. Tooke put Hardy's 
name to it before it was entered in the books, and 



12 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

sent to the newspapers. That circumstance is suffi- 
cient to account for the mystery which so puzzled the 
Attorney Genera!, why the name of Thomas Hardy, 
Secretary, was in the hand writing of Mr. Tooke. The 
address thus signed was seized among the papers of Mr. 
Adams, Secretary to the Constitutional Society ; and 
from that circumstance and others, equally mistaken, 
jumbled together, the Attorney General inferred and 
asserted, that the London Corresponding Society was 
modelled by the Constitutional Society — meaning Tooke, 
and Felix Vaughan. Gurney's Report has the same in 
substance, at pages 69, 77, and 78. 

At this period he had some leisure from his usual em- 
ployment, and he occupied the time in re-perusing a col- 
lection of political tracts, published by the Society for 
Constitutional Information, in the years 1779, 1780, 1781, 
1782, and 1783, which had been presented to him by a 
Member of that Society, T. B. Hollis, Esq. This drew 
his attention more closely to the subjects on which he 
had been accustomed to think and talk a great deal during 
the American war. He drew up some rules, with a 
preamble to them, for the management of the Society 
which he had projected. These rules he submitted to 
three friends, whom he engaged to supper with him one 
night, with a view of obtaining their opinions on the 
subject. His friends highly approved of them, as proper 
fundamental regulations for a Society, whose efforts were 
to be employed in endeavouring to restore to Britons 
those civil rights of which they had been deprived by 
the unholy union of force and fraud, at various periods, 
and by all parties that had obtained power — Whigs, then, 
as well as Tories. 

These outlines being agreed upon between him and 
his three friends, they, next, resolved to meet weekly 
in future at a public house, and to invite as many of their 



MEMOIR Ol' THOMAS HARDY. 13 

friends as they thought were likely to exert themselves 
in promoting- the object of the Society. 

" What great events arise from little things \" 

This Society, consisting at first of no more than four 
members, plain homely citizens, soon acquired an influ- 
ence, and encreased to a magnitude too well known 
to require any particular description. 

However, it is necessary to follow its progress a little. 
In the beginning of January, 1792, the first meeting 
was held at the sign of the Bell, in Exeter Street, in 
the Strand, when there were present only nine persons, 
all acquainted with each other. They had finished their 
daily labour, and met there by appointment. After 
having had their bread and cheese and porter for supper, 
as usual, and their pipes afterwards, with some conver- 
sation on the hardness of the times and the dearness 
of all the necessaries of life, which they, in common 
with their fellow citizens, felt to their sorrow, the busi- 
ness for which they had met was brought forward — 
Parliamentary Reform — an important subject to be 
deliberated upon, and dealt with by such a class of 
men. Hardy then produced the rules and preamble 
which he had drawn out; and after they had been read 
twice, it was proposed that all who wished to become 
members should subscribe them, and engage to endea- 
vour, by all the means in their power, to promote the 
objects the Society had in view. To this proposal all 
present, except one man, readily agreed. This man 
said he would take a week to consider of it ; and he 
also became a member at the next meeting. Hardy 
presented a book which he had bought for the purpose, 
that those who became members might put down their 
names, and pay one penny, which was to be continued 
weekly, as one of the rules expresses. 



14 MEMOIR or THOMAS HARDY. 

There was some conversation about what name should 
be given to the Society ; some would have it called " The 
Patriotic Club," some the ^* Reformation Society," when 
Hardy shewed them some cards upon which he had 
written " The London Corresponding Society, No. 1, 2, 
3, &c. ;" and that denomination was unanimously adopted. 
Hardy was then appointed Secretary and Treasurer. 
There were eight persons who had subscribed the 
rules, and paid a penny each, consequently there was 
eight pence in the treasury, — a mighty sum! Next 
weekly meeting, nine more joined the Society, which 
encreased the fund to two shillings and one penny. The 
third meeting brought an accession of twenty-four new 
members, which made the treasury rich to the important 
amount of four shillings and one penny. 

The first correspondence of the Society was the 
following letter, addressed by Hardy to the Rev. Mr. 
Bryant, of Sheffield. It was private; but, on reading 
that gentleman's answer to the assembled members, 
the transaction was adopted as that of the whole body. 
The letter is here inserted, because, on the trial, the 
Attorney General, now Lord Eldon, lamented very much 
— he is good at lamentations — that he had not posses- 
sion of it, and because the reply which it elicited tended 
very much to animate the Corresponding Society in the 
great cause of Parliamentary Reform. 



London, Sth March, 1792. 



Reverend Sir, 



I hope you will pardon that freedom which 1 take 
in troubling you with the following sentiments ; nothing 
but the importance of the business could have induced me 
to address one who is an entire stranger to me, except 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 15 

only by report. Hearing from my friend, Gustavus 
Vassa, the African, who is now writing memoirs of his 
life in my house, that you are a zealous friend to the 
abolition of that cursed traffic, the Slave Trade, I infer, 
from that circumstance, that you are a zealous friend to 
freedom on the broad basis of the RIGHTS OF MAN. 
I am fully persuaded that there is no man, who is, from 
principle, an advocate for the liberty of the black man, but 
will zealously support the rights of the white man, and 
vice versa. 

The reason why I write to you, at this time, is this. 
There are some tradesmen, mechanics, and shopkeepers 
here in London, forming a Society for a Reform in Par- 
liament, which, in our opinion, is of all other things most 
deserving the attention of the public. We are more and 
more convinced, from every day's experience, that the 
restoring the right of voting to every man, not incapa- 
citated by nature for want of reason, nor by law for the 
commission of crimes, together with annual election, is 
the only reform that can be effectual and permanent. It 
has been a long, and very just complaint, that a very 
great majorit}^ of the people of this country are not repre- 
sented in Parliament; that the majority of the House 
of Commons are chosen by a number of voters, not ex- 
ceeding twelve thousand ; and that many large and popu- 
lous towns bave not a single vote for a representative : 
such as Birmingham, containing upwards of 40,000 inha- 
bitants; Manchester, above 30,000; Leeds, above 20,000 ; 
besides Sheffield, Bradford, Halifax, Wolverhampton, &c. 
&c. &c. ; since that estimate of the inhabitants was made, 
their number has been more than doubled. The views 
and intentions of this Society are directed towards ascer- 
taining the opinion, and to know the determination, as 
far as possible, of the unrepresented part of the people. 
From these considerations we have taken the name of 



u / 

IfJ MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

The London Corresponding Society^ for restoring the 
right of suffrage to the unrepresented of the people of 
Great Britain. The following are our leading rules. 
That the number of our Members be unlimited. That no 
one can become a Member unless he be proposed by one 
of the Members and seconded by another. That he be 
above the age of twenty years, and resident in Great 
Britain one year. And to be esteemed a Member of 
the Society, it is requisite that he pay, at least, one penny 
a week, towards defraying the necessary expenses of the 
Society. I have here given you some of our reasons and 
motives for associating, and our terms of admission. 
Since we did associate, we have heard that there are 
Societies also forming in Sheffield for promoting the 
same important cause. 

As I do not know either the President, or the Secretary, 
and presuming you are a Member, I trust you will oblige 
me with all the information you judge prudent, concerning 
the government of your Society, as ours is not yet per- 
fectly organized. Any information from you, or the 
Society at Sheffield, tending to facilitate the grand and 
ultimate end, or even any advice, will be gratefully re- 
ceived by him who begs leave to subscribe himself, 

Reverend Sir, 
Your most obedient and most 

Humble Servant, 

THOMAS HARDY. 

4, Taylor's Buildings, 
St. Martin's Lane. 

On the 2nd of April, 1792, the London Corresponding 
Society came before the public with an address and reso- 
lutions, in which their principles and views were clearly 
and unequivocally stated. This first address was written 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 17 

by Mr. Margarot ; and it was judged requisite and proper 
that some person should sign it as Chairman ; more espe- 
cially as it was their first public act. It was proposed to 
several persons to allow their names to appear, but some 
objected, and others pleaded private reasons, best known 
to themselves, in excuse. However, as the Society 
deemed it necessary to have a name, it was at last pro- 
posed to Hardy to allow his to appear. He had no other 
objection than the probability that it might prove pre- 
judicial to the Society, to have their first document pub- 
lished under the sanction of so obscure a name. This 
objection was overruled, and his name alone, as Secretary, 
appeared to the first Address and Resolutions, of which the 
following is a true copy : — 



LONDON CORRESPONDING SOCIETY, 

Held at the Belly Exeter Street, Strand, 

Man, as aw individual, is entitled to liberty — it is his birth- 
right. 

As a member of society, the preservation of that liberty 
becomes his indispensable duty. 

When he associated, he gave up certain rights, in order 
to secure the possession of the remainder ; 

But, he voluntarily yielded up only as much as was neces- 
sary for the common good: 

He still preserved a right of sharing in the government 
of his country; — without it, no man can with truth call 
himself FREE. 

Fraud or force, sanctioned by custom, with-holds that 
right from (by far) the greater number of the inhabitants of this 
country. 

The few with whom the right of election and representa- 
tion remains, abuse it, and the strong temptations held out 
to electors, sufficiently prove that the representatives of this 

C 



18 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

country seldom procure a seat in Parliament, from the 
unhought suffrages of a free people. 

The nation at length perceives it, and testifies an ardent 
desire of remedying the evil. 

The only difficulty, therefore, at present is, the ascertain- 
ing the true method of proceeding. 

To this end, different and numerous Societies have been 
formed in various parts of the nation. 

Several likewise have arisen in the Metropolis ; and among 
them, (though as yet in its infant state) the London Corres- 
ponding Society, with modesty intrudes itself and opinions, 
on the attention of the public, in the following Resolutions ; 

1. Resolvedy — That every individual has a right to share 
in the government of that Society of which he is a Member — 
unless incapacitated : 

2. Resolved, — That nothing but non-age, privation of 
reason, or an offence against the general rules of society, 
can incapacitate him. 

3. Resolved, — That it is no less the right than the duty 
of every citizen, to keep a watchful eye on the government 
of his country; that the laws, by being multiplied, do not 
degenerate into Oppression; and that those who are entrusted 
with the Government, do not substitute Private Interest for 
Public Advantage. 

4. Resolved, — That the people of Great Britain are not 
effectually represented in Parliament. 

5. Resolved,— Tha.t in consequence of a partial, unequal, 
and therefore inadequate Repi'esentation, together with the 
corrupt method in which Representatives are elected ; oppres- 
sive taxes, unjust laivs, restrictions of liberty, and wasting of 
the public money, have ensued. 

6. Resolved, — That the only remedy to those evils is a 
fair, equal, and impartial Representation of the people in 
Parliament. 

7. Resolved,— ThaX a fair, equal, and impartial Represen- 
tation can never take place, until all partial privileges are 
abolished. *^ 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 19 

B. Resolved, — That this Society do express their abhorrence 
of tumult and violence ; and that, as they aim at Reform, not 
anarchy; reason, firmness, and unanimity are the only arms 
they themselves will employ, or persuade their fellow-citizens 
to exert, against ABUSE OF power. 

Ordered, — That the Secretary of this Society do transmit 
a copy of the above to the Societies for Constitutional Infor- 
mation, established in London, Sheffield, and Manchester. 

By Order of the Committee, 

T. HARDY, Secretary. 
April 2, 1792. 

A copy of these Resolutions was sent to the Society for 
Constitutional Information, as already mentioned, and 
they were, by that Society, published in the newspapers. 
They were afterwards published by the London Corres- 
ponding Society itself, in the form of hand-bills, and 
thousands of them distributed in London^ and throughout 
the country. 

It was about this period that Hardy became acquainted 
with a gentleman, whose acquaintance and friendship was 
a real honour — J. Home Tooke — that steady and intrepid 
champion of freedom ; that unflinching supporter of 
Parliamentary Reform ; and with many others of the 
friends of that cause, which promised peace and happi- 
ness to their fellow men. These virtuous men have been 
since falsely represented by successive governments and 
their hirelings, as traitors and enemies to their country ; a 
dark and shameful blot on the annals of this civilized 
land, that its destinies should be confided to the manage- 
ment of men, either so ignorant or so wicked ! The 
discerning and unprejudiced part of the nation, however, 
see clearly who are, and who have been the real enemies 
of their country ; who have been aiding and abetting the 

c2 



20 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

robbery and murder of their fellow creatures, both at 
home and abroad. And these are the men who have been 
active in slandering and persecuting the friends of justice 
and humanity. He acquired the acquaintance of Thomas 
Paine, also, about the same time ; a man whose political 
writings, especially his celebrated " Rights of Man," 
seemed to electrify the nation, and terrified the imbecile 
government of the day into the most desperate and un- 
justifiable measures. 

The next transaction of the London Corresponding 
Society, was a congratulatory Address to the National 
Convention of France, of which the following is a copy* 
It was confided to the French Ambassador, who was, 
soon after, suddenly ordered to quit this country. In the 
Convention it was received with rapturous applause, as 
the first address from this country ; and was afterwards 
one of the documents brought against the prisoners tried 
for High Treason. The National Convention distributed 
printed copies throughout all the Departments of France, 
where it caused a very great sensation. 

The London Corresponding Society's Congratulatory 
Address to the National Conve7ition of France. 

" Frenchmen, 
" While foreign robbers are ravaging your territories, under 
the specious pretext of justice, cruelty and desolation leading 
on their van, perfidy, vf'iih treachery, bringing up their rear ; 
yet mercy and friendship, impudently held forth to the world 
as the sole motives of their incursions, the oppressed part of 
mankind forgetting, for a while, their own sufferings, feel only 
for yours, and with an anxious eye watch the event, fervently 
supplicating the Almighty Ruler of the universe to be 
favourable to your cause, so intimately blended with their 
own. 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 21 

** Frowned upon by an oppressive system of controul, whose 
gradual, but continued encroachments, have deprived this 
nation of nearly all its boasted liberty, and brought us almost 
to that abject state of slavery, from which you have so 
emerged, 5,000 British citizens, indignant, manfully step forth 
to rescue their country from the opprobrium brought upon it 
by the supine conduct of those in power. They conceive it to 
be the duty of Britons to countenance and assist to the utmost 
of their power, the champions of human happiness, and to 
swear to a nation, proceeding on the plan you have adopted, 
an inviolable friendship. Sacred from this day be that friend- 
ship between us ! and may vengeance to the uttermost, over- 
take the man who hereafter shall attempt to cause a rupture. 

** Though we appear so few at present, be assured. French- 
men, that our number encreases daily ; it is true, that the stern 
uplifted arm of authority at present keeps back the timid, that 
busily circulated impostors hourly mislead the credulous, and 
that Court intimacy, with avowed French traitors, has some 
effect on the unwary, and on the ambitious. But, with cer- 
tainty, we can inform you, friends and freemen, that informa- 
tion makes a rapid progress among us. Curiosity has taken 
possession of the public mind ; the conjoint reign of ignorance 
and despotism passes away. Men now ask each other. What 
is freedom ? What are our rights ? Frenchmen, you are already 
free, and Britons are preparing to become so. 

** Casting far from us the criminal prejudices artfully incul- 
cated by evil-minded men, and wily Courtiers, we, instead of 
natural enemies, at length discover in Frenchmen our fellow 
citizens of the world, and our brethren by the same Heavenly 
Father, who created us for the purpose of loving and mutually 
assisting each other ; but not to hate, and to be ever ready to 
cut each others throats, at the commands of weak or ambitious 
Kings, and corrupt Ministers. 

** Seeking our real enemies, we find them in our bosoms, we 
feel ourselves inwardly torn by, and ever the victims of a 
restless, all consuming aristocracy, hitherto the bane of every 

c3 



I 



22 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

nation under the sun ! Wisely have you acted in expelling it 
from France. 

** Warm as our wishes for your success, eager as we 
are to behold freedom triumphant, and man every where 
restored to the enjoyment of his just rights, a sense of 
our duty, as orderly citizens, forbids our flying in arms 
to your assistance ; our government has pledged the national 
faith to remain neutral : — in a struggle of liberty against 
Despotism, Britons remain neutral ! oh shame ! But we 
have entrusted our King with discretionary powers ! — we, 
therefore, must obey ;— our hands are bound, but our hearts 
are free, and they are with you. 

** Let German despots act as they please. We shall rejoice 
at their fall, compassionating however their enslaved subjects. 
We hope this tyranny of their masters will prove the means of 
reinstating, in the full enjoyment of their rights and liberties, 
millions of our fellow creatures. 

*' With unconcern, therefore, we view the Elector of 
Hanover join his troops to traitors and robbers ; but the King 
of Great Britain will do well to remember, that this country is 
not Hanover. — Should he forget this distinction, we will not. 

** While you enjoy the envied glory of being the unaided 
defenders of freedom, we fondly anticipate, in idea, the nume- 
rous blessings mankind will enjoy ; if you succeed, as we 
ardently wish, the triple alliance (not of Crowns, but) of the 
people of America, France, and Britain, will give freedom to 
Europe, and peace to the whole world. Dear friends, you 
combat for the advantage of the human race. How well pur- 
chased will be, though at the expense of much blood, the 
glorious, the unprecedented privilege of saying mankind is 
free ! Tyrants and tyranny are no more ! Peace reigns on 
the earth ! And this is the work of Frenchmen ! 

" The desire of having the concurrence of different Societies 
to this Address, has occasioned a month's delay in presenting 
it. Success, unparallelled, has now attended your arms. We 
congratulate you thereon. That success has removed our 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 23 

anxiety, but it has no otherwise influenced our sentiments in 
your behalf. Remember, Frenchmen, that although this testi- 
mony of friendship only now reaches your Assembly, it bears 
date the 27th September, 1792." 

(Signed by Order) 

MAURICE MARGAROT, President. 
THOMAS HARDY, Secretary. 

We now arrive at a period which draws the subject of 
this Memoir forth from the humble occupation of a shoe- 
maker, in which he had hitherto laboured with great 
credit to himself, to take his stalld by the side of those 
immortal heroes, in whose praise the tongues of Britons 
will never cease to speak with rapture and grateful vene- 
ration. With that patriotic band who broke the ruffian 
arm of arbitrary power, and dyed the field and the scaffold 
with their pure and precious blood, for the liberties of 
their country, — Hampden, Russell, Sidney ; ye intrepid 
martyrs to freedom ! All hail to your ever glorious 
memory ! Alas ! how near was the page of our history to 
being again stained with the record of another bloody 
tragedy, similar to that which terminated your bright and 
honourable career ! But, thanks to the firmness and 
integrity of twelve honest Britons, the page which was 
again intended for so foul a record has been preserved 
pure, and, for the happiness of millions, has been made 
the splendid recorder of the triumph of truth and 
justice. 

But to return to the subject, from which the warmth of 
honest feeling has caused us to digress. Before the end 
of the "year 1792, such is the prevalence of truth, and 
such is the weight and force of her arguments, the London 
Corresponding Society, to which Hardy was still Secre- 
tary, formed an intimate connexion, and had frequent 

c4 



24 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARBY. 

correspondence with every Society in Great Britain, which 
had been instituted for the purpose of obtaining, by legal 
and constitutional means, a Reform in the Commons' 
House of Parliament. The correspondence with these 
Societies, and with others which continued to be daily form- 
ing, in all parts of England and Scotland, was regular, until 
they were deranged in November, by the starting up of a 
Society, hostile to liberty, under the denomination of 
** An Association for protecting property against repub- 
licans and levellers," which met at the Crown and 
Anchor Tavern. This Society was not merely coun- 
tenanced, but actually appointed by the Ministers of that 
day, for the express purpose of calumniating the best 
friends of the country, that they might plunder and tyran- 
nize, uncontrolled, over the people, in which, in a great 
measure, they succeeded. John Reeves, Charles Yorke, 
and Mr. Devaynes, were at the head of the Association. 

In this deranged state of the London Corresponding 
Society, they published an Address to the Nation, vin- 
dicating their character from the base lies propagated 
against them by the new Association, every member of 
which was interested in preventing Reform. The whole 
body, with their connexions, were, in fact, plundering the 
nation of millions, which has since been clearly proved ; 
so that if a Reform had taken place at that time, these 
few worthless individuals would have been reduced to 
comparative poverty, and the nation saved. Mr. Margarot 
signed the Address as Chairman, and Hardy as Secretary. 
The copies were printed in the form of large broadsides, 
and posted up in various parts of London. As a preli- 
minary to what was to be expected to follow, the bill- 
sticker was apprehended, and afterwards tried, found 
guilty, and sentenced to six months imprisonment and a 
fine, which was paid by the Society. The Address is 
here given at length, that the present generation may see 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 25 

the severity with which liberal principles were dealt with 
in the days of their fathers, and that if these fathers did 
not recover the liberty that had been wrested from their 
ancestors, it was not for want of struggling, and braving 
every danger in the cause. It was written by Felix 
Vaughan, Esq. Barrister at Law, and Member of the 
Society. 

ADDRESS 

OF THE 

LONDON CORRESPONDING SOCIETY, 

To the other Societies of Great Britain, 

UNITED FOR THE OBTAINING A 

REFORM IN PARLIAMENT. 

Friends, and Fellow Countrymen, 

Unless we are greatly deceived, the time is approaching 
when the object for which we struggle is likely to come 
within our reach. — That a nation like Britain should be free, 
it is requisite only that Britons should will it to become so ; 
that such should be their will, the abuses of our original 
Constitution, and the alarm of our aristocratic enemies, 
suflSciently witness. — Confident in the purity of our motives, 
and in the justice of our cause, let us meet falsehood with 
proofs, and hypocrisy with plainness. — Let us persevere in 
declaring our principles, and Misrepresentation will meet its 
due reward — Contempt. 

In this view the artifices of a late aristocratic associa- 
tion, formed on the 20th instant, call for a few remarks, on 
account of the declaration they have published relative to 
other Clubs and Societies formed in this nation ; it is true 
that this meeting oi gentlemen (for so they style themselves), 
have mentioned no names, instanced no facts, (pioted no 



26 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

authorities; but they take upon themselves to assert, that 
bodies of their countrymen have been associated, professing opi- 
nions favourable to the RIGHTS of MAN, to LIBERTY 
AND EQUALITY; and moreover that those opinions are 
conveyed in the terms NO KING ! NO PARLIAMENT ! 
— So much for their assertions. 

If this be intended to include the Societies to which we 
respectively belong, we here, in the most solemn manner, deny 
the latter part of the charge; while, in admitting the former, 
we claim the privilege, and glory in the character of Britons. 
Whoever shall attribute to us (who wish only the restoration 
of the lost liberties of our country) the expressions of no 
King ! no Parliament ! or any design of invading the 
PROPERTY of other men, is guilty of a wilful, an impu- 
dent, and a malicious falsehood. 

We know and are sensible that the wages of every man 
are his right; that difference of strength, of talents, and of 
industry, do and ought to afford proportional distinctions of 
property, which, when acquired and confirmed by the laws, 
is sacred and inviolable. We defy the most slavish and 
malevolent man in the meeting of the 20th instant, to bring 
the remotest proof to the contrary. If there be no proof, we 
call upon them to justify an insidious calumny, which seems 
invented only to terrify independent Britons from reclaiming 
the rightful Constitution of their country. 

We admit and we declare, that we are friends to CIVIL 
LIBERTY, and therefore to NATURAL EQUALITY, 
both of which we consider as the RIGHTS of MANKIND 
— could we believe them to be ** in direct opposition to the 
laws of this land,^^ we should blush to find ourselves among 
the number of its inhabitants ; but we are persuaded that the 
abuses of the constitution will never pass current for its true 
principles, since we are told in its first Charter that all are 
EQUAL in the sight of the law, which ** shall neither he sold, 
nor refused, nor delayed, to any free man whatsoever J^ Should 
it ever happen that " right and justice" are opposed by 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 27 

expence, by refusal, or by delay, then is this principle 
OF equality violated, and we are no longer 

FREEMEN. 

Such are our notions of those rights, which it is boldly 
maintained are ** inconsistent with the well-being of Society,'' 
But let us not suffer men who avow no principles of liberty, 
whose favourite cry is INEQUALITY OF PROPERTY, 
to estrange others of our countrymen from aiding us in serving 
the community, and from recovering to the nation that share 
of its sovereignty, which has unhappily been sacrificed to 
CORRUPT COURTIERS and intriguing BOROUGH 
MONGERS. 

If our laws and constitution be just and wise in their origin 
and their principle, every deviation from them as first esta- 
blished must be injurious to the people, whose persons and 
property were then secured; if, at the Revolution, this 
country was adequately represented, it is now so no longer, 
and therefore calls aloud for REFORM. 

If it be true that the people of Britain are superior to 
other nations, is it that our taxes are less burthensome, or that 
our provisions are less expensive? Is it from the various 
productions of our soil that we are rich? Is it owing to the 
majority of our numbers that we are strong? Certainly not! 
France has the advantage in all these respects, and up to this 
period she has never been our superior in wealth, in power, 
in talents, or in virtues. But let us not deceive ourselves ; the 
difference between us and that nation was, formerly, that our 
Monarchy was limited, while theirs was absolute; that the 
number of our aristocracy did not equal the thousandth part of 
theirs; that we had Trial by Jury, vv^hile they had none; that 
our persons were protected by the laws, while their lives were 
at the mercy of every titled individual. We, therefore, had 
that to fight for, which to them was unknown, since we were 
MEN while they were SLAVES. 

The scene indeed has changed : like our brave ancestors of the 
last century, they have driven out the family that would have 
destroyed them; they have scattered the mercenaries who 



28 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

invaded their freedom, ** and have broken their chains on 
the heads of their oppressors." If during this conflict with 
military assassins and domestic traitors, cruelty and revenge 
have arisen among a few inhabitants of the capital, let us 
lament these effects of a bloody and tyrannous MANI- 
FESTO; but let us leave to the hypocrite pretenders to 
humanity, the task of blackening the misfortune, and attri- 
buting to a whole nation the act of an enraged populace. 

As we have never yet been cast so low at the foot of 
despotism, so is it not requisite that we should appeal to the 
same awful tribunal with our brethren on the Continent. 
May our enmities be written in sand, but may our rights be 
engraven on marble ! We desire to overthrow no property 
but what has been raised on the HUINS OF OUH LI- 
BERTY! We look with reverence on the landed and 
commercial interests of our country ; but we view with abhor- 
rence that MONOPOLY of BURGAGE TENURES, 
unwarranted by law or reason, in this or any other nation in 
Europe. 

Let us then continue, with patience and firmness, in the 
path which is begun ; let us then wait and watch the ensuing 
Sessions of Parliament, from whom we have much to hope, and 
little to fear. The House of Commons may have been the 
source of our calamity ; it may prove that of our deliverance. 
Should it not, we trust we shall not prove unworthy of our 
forefathers, WHOSE EXERTIONS IN THE CAUSE 
OF MANKIND SO WELL DESERVE OUR 
IMITATION. 

M. MARGAROT, Chairman, 
T. HARDY, Secretary. 

The signing of this Address, though it was so public, and 
its principles, it is to be hoped, were those of every rational 
being, was brought against Hardy as an act of High 
Treason. Other documents, equally devoid of treason, were 
also brought against him, some of which shall be hereafter 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 29 

noticed ; but to notice tliem all would be to republish the 
Attorney General's speech, which took hiiu nine hours to 
deliver. 

In the Spring of the year 1793, petitions were pro- 
moted by the different Constitutional Societies in their 
respective towns and neighbourhoods, not in their capa- 
cities of members of the Societies, but as members of the 
community deprived of their rights, and desiring that 
those rights might be restored to them. 

These petitions were presented to the House of Com- 
mons, for the purpose of strengthening Mr. Grey's motion 
for Reform. Some of them were read and animadverted 
upon with great asperity by many of the members of that 
House, for speaking with a bolder tone of remonstrance 
than was agreeable to the prejudices and opinions of a 
great majority of them. These, of course, were all re- 
jected. Others, less offensive, were ordered to lie on the 
table, or, in other words, were consigned to oblivion 
without observation. 

In October, 1793, a Convention of the different 
Societies of Scotland was held in Edinburgh, with the 
view of obtaining the Reformation of Parliament ; pre- 
viously to which Mr. Skirving, the Secretary, wrote to 
Mr. Hardy, Secretary to the London Corresponding 
Society, requesting that Society to send delegates to the 
Convention in Scotland, and also a request that he and 
the other members would use their influence with other 
English Societies to do the like. A similar letter was 
sent, by Mr. Skirving, to the London and Sheffield Con- 
stitutional Societies, with a similar request, all of which 
requests were complied with ; and these three Societies, 
on the 9th of November, 1793, sent delegates ac- 
cordingly. 

It is almost unnecessary to say any thing upon a sub- 
ject so well known ; but as the thread of our story requires 



30 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

to be preserved unbroken, we shall be as concise as pos- 
sible. The Convention met in Edinburgh on the 19th of 
November, 1793 ; the delegates of the three English 
Societies being of the number that attended. They pro- 
ceeded to business with a regularity, decorum, and 
dignity, by no means unworthy of the imitation of 
assemblies of a much longer standing. They met with no 
interruption for upwards of a fortnight. Their proceed- 
ings were open to the public at large, and their resolutions 
debated and adopted in the presence of all who chose to 
attend. A short time after the meeting of the Convention, 
Mr. Margaret, delegate from the London Corresponding 
Society, received authority from the United Societies of 
Norwich to act for them ; and Mr. C, Brown, from the 
Sheffield Society, received a similar commission from the 
Society at Leeds. Every week fresh Societies were 
springing up, even to the utmost parts of Scotland, and 
sending delegates to Edinburgh to the Convention. The 
€yes of the whole nation were so anxiously and steadily 
fixed upon its proceeding's, that the servants of Govern- 
ment became alarmed, and all at once, in defiance of 
justice, the law of Scotland, and in the face of Magna 
Charta, and the Bill of Rights, the Magistrates of Edin- 
burgh, attended by a posse of constables, thief catchers, 
and others, armed with bludgeons, pistols, and hangers, 
invaded the Convention, and insisted on dispersing it, 
which, after some struggle, they effected. What followed, 
is well known. The English delegates were all held to 
bail, and some of them indicted. Margaret and Gerald 
were tried for sedition ; and with Skirving, the Secretary 
to the Scottish Societies and Convention, Thomas Muir, 
and F. Palmer, were convicted, and sentenced to fourteen 
years transportation to Botany Bay. 

The English Societies, whose rights had been thus 
wantonly trampled upon, in the severe and unjust punish- 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 31 

ment inflicted upon their delegates, held frequent meet- 
ings, and passed some strong resolutions on the subject, 
expressive of their indignation ; and after many consulta- 
tions and communications, it was at length resolved to 
call another Convention to be held in England, and to 
which the Scottish Societies should be requested to send 
delegates. The English Ministers being advised, through 
their spies and informers, that this measure was about to 
be adopted, took the alarm, and employed such means to 
prevent it as reflect disgrace upon their memories, and 
astonished, not only Great Britain, but also all Europe. 

On the memorable 12th of May, 1794, at half- past six 
o'clock in the morning, Mr. Lazun, junior, the son of the 
King's messenger of that name, and who was himself 
afterwards made an assistant messenger, as a reward for 
his activity on that occasion, gave a thundering knock at 
the door, No. 9, Piccadilly, before the shop was opened ; 
and Hardy, having no suspicion of what had been pre- 
pared for him, jumped out of bed, and went, half-dressed, 
to see what could be the matter at that early hour. Upon 
the door being opened, Lazun rushed in, followed by 
John Gurnel, the King's messenger, P. Macmanus, and 
John Townsend, Bow Street officers — better known by 
the appellation of thief takers— Mr. John King, private 
Secretary to Mr. Dundas, and two or three others whose 
names Hardy did not learn. Lazun seized him, and pro- 
ceeded to search his pockets, where he found some letters 
and papers, besides his pocket book, containing two bills 
of exchange to the amount of £196. Hardy desired to 
know by what authority he was thus treated, when Lazun 
shewed him a paper, which he called a warrant for his 
apprehension, on a charge of High Treason : but before 
he could read more than a few lines, the young upstart in 
authority, re-folded, and put it again in his pocket. He 
observed, however, something about High Treason, con- 



32 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

nected with his own name, but had not an opportunity 
then of observing by whom it was signed. 

Lazun was very active in rumaging all the drawers, 
even those containing Mrs. Hardy's clothes. He demanded 
the key of a bureau, which happened to be locked, and 
when he found he could not obtain it, he threatened to 
break it, and proceeded to put his threat in execution by 
trying to force it open with the poker. Mrs. Hardy 
entreated him to desist, and Mr. King called in a smith, 
who was in waiting, with a box full of all sorts of pick- 
locks, and skeleton keys. This man did his business very 
expeditiously. He picked the lock of the bureau, and 
those of some trunks, and the party soon had four large 
silk handkerchiefs filled with letters and other papers ; 
among which were many of Hardy's private letters from 
friends in America, and at home. Mr. King then called 
a hackney coach, which was in attendance, into which 
Mr. Hardy and the four bundles of papers were put, 
accompanied by Gurnel and Townsend, and carried to the 
messenger's house in King Street, corner of Charles 
Street, Westminster. The rest of the party remained 
behind, at No. 9, Piccadilly, and, not content with 
manuscripts, took as many books and pamphlets as nearly 
filled a corn sack, without marking one article. 

The feelings of poor Mrs. Hardy, on that occasion, may 
be easier imagined than described. In an advanced state 
of pregnancy, sitting in bed all the time, and unable to 
dress before so many unwelcome visitors, whom she could 
hardly consider in a better light than that of robbers. 

Hardy remained in the custody of Mr. Gurnel, by 
whom, and his family, he was civilly treated, from the 
12th to the 29th of May. During that time he under- 
went several examinations before the Privy Council, con- 
sisting of Messrs. Pitt, and Dundas, the Duke of Mon^ 
trose, the Marquis of Stafford, Lords Grenville, Hawkes- 



f-'"' ■ MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 33 

bury, and Salisbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney 
and Solicitor General, White, Solicitor to the Treasury, 
John Reeves, of notorious memory, Falkner, &c. 

The first examination took place at eleven o^clock on 
the morning on which he was taken ; when, being asked 
by Mr. Dundas his name and occupation, he gave a ready 
answer. He was then asked many questions to which he 
could not reply ; and many letters and papers were shewn 
to him which he had never seen before, and of which, of 
course, he knew nothing ; but the letters and papers he 
had written and signed, he readily acknowledged. On 
Tuesday and Wednesday his examination was con- 
tinued ; but he was not again called before the Council 
until Monday, when he was questioned about guns, pikes, 
and other warlike instruments. Of such instruments he 
knew nothing. It is impossible that so many Societies as 
then existed, could be without some violent characters, 
among which might be included the Government spies ; 
but whatever such unworthy persons may have hinted, in 
any of the numerous Societies, about arms. Hardy, and 
the real patriotic part of them, abhorred the very idea of 
having recourse to violence of any sort. All their 
efforts were directed to the recovery of the lost rights of 
themselves and of their fellow citizens — in fact, to the 
attainment of Parliamentary Reform, by constitutional 
and peaceable means. 

On the very day of Hardy's capture, a Message from 
the King was brought down to the Commons, by Mr. 
Dundas, announcing that the seditious practices which had 
been for some time carried on by certain Societies in 
London, in correspondence with Societies in different 
parts of the country, had lately been pursued with in- 
creased activity and boldness, and had been avowedly 
directed to the object of assembling a general convention 
of the people, in contempt and defiance of the authority 

D 



34 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

of Parliament, and on principles subversive of the ex- 
isting laws and Constitution, and directly tending to the 
introduction of that system of anarchy and confusion 
which had fatally prevailed in France, That, in conse- 
quence, his Majesty had given directions for seizing the 
books and papers of the said Societies in London, which 
had been seized accordingly ; and that these books and 
papers, appearing to contain matters of great importance 
to the public, his Majesty had given orders for laying 
them before the House of Commons ; and his Majesty 
recommended it to the House to consider the same, and 
to take such measures thereupon as might appear to be 
necessary, for effectually guarding against the further 
prosecution of those dangerous designs, and for preserving 
to his Majesty's subjects the enjoyment of the blessings 
derived to them by the Constitution happily established in 
these kingdoms. 

On the 14th, a Committee was appointed for examining 
the papers, which Committee was afterwards accused, and 
not without apparent reason, of falsifying and garbling 
the documents. On the 16th, Mr. Pitt brought up the 
Report, and moved '' for leave to bring in a bill to em- 
power his Majesty to secure and detain all such persons 
as shall be suspected of conspiring against his person and 
Government :" which, after an animated debate, during 
which the House divided thirteen times, was granted. 
A^fter another debate, in which the minority, though 
small, displayed splendid talents, the bills passed, of 
course. On the 17th, a similar Message was presented 
by Lord Grenville, from his Majesty, to the House of 
Lords, when the Ministers were attacked by the Duke of 
Grafton, and Lord Stanhope. The latter nobleman 
defended the Societies. " These papers," said he, *' are 
written by a set of men, honest in their intentions, though 
not rich, nor of high rank. They may, from a defect of 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 35 

education, have been somewhat inaccurate in their ex- 
pressions — (the Ministers laughed at this) ; but their in- 
tentions were clearly legal, as their professed aim was to 
obtain a redress of grievances by legal means. 

The bill for suspending the Habeas Corpus passed the 
Lords on the 22d of May, and was protested against by the 
foUowing noblemen :— Earl Stanhope, Duke of Bedford, 
the Earls of Albemarle, Lauderdale, and Derby. 

In spite, however, of all these severe measures, it is 
pretty clear, had this country remained at peace, that 
nothing short of an extensive and efficient Reform would 
have satisfied the people. The Ministers were ** wise 
in their generation ;" they saw this, and, with a view of 
diverting the public mind from the subject, plunged the 
country into a destructive war, which has caused an accu- 
mulation of debt and misery, dreadful to contemplate. 
The industrious have complained, and have had oppres- 
sion added to oppression. They have been answered as 
Rehoboam answered the people of Israel : — ** My Father 
hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you 
with scorpions." And what was the consequence ? The 
people said, ** what portion have we in David .** neither 
have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, 

Israel; now see to thine own house David. So Israel 
rebelled against the House of David unto this day." — 

1 Kings, chapter xii. verses 16, 19. 

But to resume our subject. Hardy was, on the 29th of 
May, 1794, committed to the Tower, on a warrant from 
the Privy Council, on a charge of High Treason, with 
orders that none should be admitted to see him, except 
such as brought a precept for that purpose, from those under 
whose authority he was committed. After some days had 
elapsed, the faithful partner of his bosom, who has been 
already mentioned as far advanced in a state of pregnancy, 
obtained permission, by virtue of such precept, to pay 

d2 



36 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

him a mournful visit, and was allowed after to see him 
twice a week ; but not to remain with him more than two 
hours at a time ; sometimes no more than one, and that 
always in the presence of the Gaoler, one of the Wardens, 
or a Serjeant, whom the Gaoler ordered to prevent any 
private conversation inaudible to him. If they happened 
to whisper, they were told to speak up, that they might be 
heard. 

In the mean time, the newspapers, particularly the 
Times Newspaper, teemed with the most wicked and 
shameful misrepresentation of the views and intentions of 
the unfortunate prisoner. He was loaded with every 
degree of calumnious accusations, with a view of inflaming 
and prejudicing the public mind against him. Even his 
innocent and unprotected family was persecuted with the 
most dastardly and unmanly rancour. The following well 
known fact will evince this beyond contradiction. It 
happened on the 11th of June, 1794, the night on which 
the illumination took place in London, to commemorate 
Lord Howe's victory over the French fleet. - On that 
night a large mob of ruffians assembled before his house. 
No. 9, Piccadilly, and without any ceremony began to 
assail the windows with stones and brick-bats. These 
were very soon demolished, although there had been 
lights up as in the adjoining houses. They next attempted 
to break open the shop door, and swore, with the most 
horrid oaths, that they would either burn or pull down the 
house. The unfortunate Mrs. Hardy was within, with no 
other protector than an old woman who attended her as 
nurse. Weak and enfeebled as she was, from her per- 
sonal situation, and from what she must have suffered on 
account of her husband, it is no wonder that she should 
have been terrified by the threats and assaults of such a 
crowd of infuriated desperadoes. We have seen the rea- 
diness with which the military have been sent to the aid 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 37 

of the civil power, to preserve crimping houses, but 
neither civil nor military power interfered to preserve the 
property of this persecuted man, nor that of the exalted 
patriot, Lord Stanhope, from the violence of a lawless 
mob, more than suspected of having been hired for the 
base purpose. 

Mrs. Hardy called to the neighbours who lived at the 
back of the house, and who were in a state of great 
anxiety for her safety, in case the villains should have 
effected their purpose of breaking into the premises. 
They advised her to make her way through a small back 
window, on the ground floor, which she accordingly 
attempted, but being very large round the waist, she 
stuck fast in it, and it was only by main force that she could 
be dragged through, much injured by the bruises which 
she received : and as, when brought to bed, soon after- 
wards, the child was dead, it may reasonably be con- 
cluded that it lost its life by the violent compression 
which the unfortunate mother suffered in that afilicting 
business. 

The unceasing and merciless system of defamation 
which continued to be pursued against her husband, had 
such an evident effect upon the mind of Mrs Hardy, that 
her health began rapidly to decline ; yet she strove to 
appear as cheerful as possible, and continued her visits 
to the Tower, as often as she was permitted, until the very 
day of her death. On the 27th of August, 1794, she was 
taken in labour, and delivered of a dead child. She de- 
clared, soon afterwards, that she found her own death fast 
approaching, and that she believed it to be entirely owing 
to what she had suffered in her person, and in her mind, 
on account of the confinement of her husband. About 
two o'clock of the same day she had parted with her 
husband, in as good spirits as was possible in her situa- 
tion — took her lust farewell— it was her last — for they 

d3 



38 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

were doomed never to see each other again in this vale 
of tears. 

The following is the beginning of a letter which Mrs. 
Hardy was writing to her husband^ a few hours before 
she died, August 27th, 1794 ; but a summons of eternal 
importance to her own soul obliged ber to drop the pen 
without finishing it. 

** My dear Hardy, 

" This comes with my tenderest affection for you. You are 
never out of my thoughts, sleeping or waking. Oh, to think 
what companions you have with you ! None that you can con- 
verse with either on temporal or spiritual matters ; but I hope the 
Spirit of God is both with you and me, and I pray that he 
may give us grace to look up to Christ. There all the good 
is that we can either hope or wish for, if we have but faith and 
patience, although we are but poor sinful mortals. My dear, 
you have it not in " 

To describe the state of the unfortunate prisoner's feel- 
ings, on receiving the mournful account of his loss, next 
morning, would be impossible, Let us think better of 
human nature than to suppose it necessary. The reader 
who can peruse the tragic story without a double emotion 
of indignation and pity, is not to be envied his feelings. 

The following beautiful poem, written by *' A friend to 
the distressed Patriots," appeared some time afterwards, 
and merits a place here. The author. Citizen Lee, went 
to America, in 1796, and died soon after. He wrote 
many beautiful poems, which have been published in 
several volumes. Free for ever be the land which afforded 
an asylum and a grave to the patriot bard ! 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 39 



ON THE 

DEATH OF MRS. HARDY, 

Wife of Mr. Thomas Hardy, of Piccadilly ; 

IMPRISONED IN THE TOWER ON A CHARGE OF 
HIGH TREASON. 



She expired in Child-bed, on Wednesday, August 27, 1794 ; and declared, 
in her last moments, that she died a martyr to the sufferings of her 
husband. 



Exalted hero ! glory of my verse ; 

Thy WEIGHTY SUFFERINGS ! would the Muse rehearse ! 

With melting lays obtain the listening ear, 

And draw from Pity's eye the pearly tear. 

I see thee, fetter'd in tyrannic chains. 

Thy spirit laden with a thousand pains ; 

Yet heedless to the mighty load of woe. 

No plaint is heard, no tears are seen to flow ; 

The pleasing hope of bringing slaves relief, 

Inspires thy gen'rous soul, and lulls thy grief. 

On Heav'n reclining, still thou hop'st to see 

All tyrants dead, and heav'n-born liberty 

Her gentle sway extending all around. 

Each human forehead with her laurels crown'd ! 

But why art thou enchain'd ? What hellish might 
Presumed to rob thee of thy dearest right ? 
To rob the world ? So good a man confin'd, 
He suffers not alone, but all mankind ! 
Twas tyranny's fell deed ; his haggard eyes. 
Saw truth in thee, reflected from the skies ; 
Bright as the morning planet, with her light, 
Chasing the shadows of retreating night ; 
And trembled lest the secrets should be known. 
That are in hell conceal'd and prop his Throne, 

D 4 



40 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

With the strong energy of fear imprest, 

Thee, son of heaven ! his iron hands arrest : 

Grasp not alone the common joys of life. 

But ev'n the brightest gem, thy loving wife : 

Inhuman monster ! smiling at the smart. 

That nature shot thro' each united heart. 

Behold the scene, the piercing scene appears I 

Imagination drops a pitying tear. 

Bereft of thee, thy tender partner pines. 

Thinks of thy state, and dangers new divines : 

'Till in her bosom black despair conceives, 

Nor beam of hope the pungent pain relieves ; 

Tho' thy misfortunes all her efforts claim, 

The hand of nature bears upon her frame : 

Feeble, and unassisted, hear her cry, 

" For thee, husband! 'Tisfor thee I die .'" 

The martyr falls — Angelic guides convey 

The spirit to the climes of endless day. 

Ah ! now the cruel tidings reach thine ear. 

Thy dauntless courage melts into a tear : 

Thy joints relax, thy fearful face grows wan. 

And all the stoic softens into man : 

For one soft moment other cares resign'd, 

Ev'n LIBERTY, her image fills thy mind ; 

Yet in the cause thy soul unmov'd remains^ 

And from th' oppressor's rod new vigour gains. 

How great thy sufferings ! how amazing great ! 

Thy patience future poets shall relate ! 

Man shall record with gratitude thy name. 

The winds from pole to pole shall waft thy fame. 

And (if the Muse her object may pursue. 

And set futurity to mortal view ;) 

Ere thou rejoicing yield'st thy fleeting breath, 

Thy wife to follow thro' the paths of death ; 

Freedom shall reign ! from earth thou shalt arise ; 

And bear the tidings to th' impatient skies. 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 41 

And will ye deign to hear my mean applause, 

Ye friends of man, and pillars of the cause ! 

Who, firm as rocks, amid the storm have stood, 

And dar'd all dangers for the public good ; 

Ye, who with Hardy now are doom'd to feel 

The lawless vengeance of ambitious zeal ! 

How would my heart with gen'rous rapture glow. 

Could my weak strain alleviate your woe ; 

Inspire some noble bosom to a deed. 

Humanity and Nature's dictates plead, 

To pity your misfortunes ; and impart 

His needful succour : — Every feeling heart, 

Eager must yield the strongest aid it can. 

To prop the cause of Gody of Angela and of Man / 

A Friend to the distressed Patriots. 

One would have naturally supposed that the wretches, 
who had so long amused themselves by sporting with the 
feelings of this unfortunate couple, would have been dis- 
armed of their malignity, by the death of a much injured 
and amiable woman, and would have stopped in the 
midst of their shameful career ; but the diabolical rancour 
of their minds was not to be thus satisfied. It is scarcely 
credible, that in a country celebrated for its humanity and 
liberality, such conduct should have been still pursued ; 
yet so it was ; for on the very day, or the day but one 
after the death of Mrs. Hardy, calumnious paragraphs 
appeared in the Times Newspaper. 

Hardy's place of confinement was a small room above 
the western gate of the Tower. Mr. Thelwall's room 
was next, and Mr. Tooke's below. Here he remained for 
about ten or twelve days after the mournful event already 
narrated, without taking his accustomed walks — for the 
prisoners had been permitted to walk on the ramparts and 
paradei some hours each day, for some time before — in a 
sf-ate of mind impossible for tongue or pen to describe, 



42 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

deprived of the faithful and beloved partner of his bosom, 
the participator of all his joys, and the kind and tender 
alleviator of all his sorrows ; and without that variety of 
objects and occupations which divert the minds of men 
in Society, in a certain measure, from continually brood- 
ing over their afflictions ; his mental sufferings must have 
been extreme. At length his fellow prisoners not meeting 
him in their daily rounds, his friend, Mr. Tooke, found 
means, privately, of advising him not to confine himself so 
closely, but to walk out and meet his friends in the dif- 
ferent rendezvous which they had appointed ; that, by 
seeing, and privately conversing with them, it might 
relieve his spirits, and enable him, with more fortitude, to 
meet the tremendous trial which awaited him; for, about 
this time, there were some hints in the public papers that 
they were to be tried for High Treason. 

The Special Commission of Oyer and Terminer, for en- 
quiring into, and hearing and determining of all High 
Treasons, and misprison of Treason, in compassing or 
imagining the death of the King, &c. was dated the 
J 0th of September, 1794. The volume of written evidence 
was so enormous, that the Attorney General was upwards 
of nine hours in opening the case to the Jury. Never was 
such a host of Crown Lawyers employed against any per- 
son tried for High Treason ; and they certainly did justice 
to their employers, for they strained every nerve, in order 
to criminate their intended victim. The whole weight of 
the arm of power was employed to crush him ; for if his 
ruin could be once accomplished, the other eleven who 
were in the indictment with him, were reckoned upon as 
an easy sacrifice. 

It appears that the Government felt so confident of a 
conviction, that they had prepared eight hundred war- 
rants, three hundred of which were actually signed, in order 
to be ready to be executed that very night and the next 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 43 

morning, in case a verdict of guilty were returned. Who 
the pers(»ns thus marked for destruction were, Hardy did 
not learn, but he is compelled to believe the authority 
upon which he states the damning fact. No means, how- 
ever unjustifiable, were spared, that could effect his ruin. 
Letters written by others to different persons, without his 
knowledge or consent, and which he had never seen or 
heard of, until they were produced in Court, were 
attempted to be read in evidence against him, and one of 
that description was actually admitted. 

The following papers, which he found means of convey- 
ing privately to his brother-in-law, Mr. Walne, two days 
previously to his removal from the Tower, will shew what 
desperate means Hardy's blood thirsty enemies had 
recourse to, in order, if possible, to take away his life, so 
plainly, that it needs no comment. 

*' On Thursday last, Mr. Kinghorn, the Gentleman 
Gaoler, and Underwood, a Warder, came into my room. 
Mr. Kinghorn seemed much agitated, and asked me to 
step with him to the Governor's,- where he said a gentle- 
man was waiting, who wished to speak with me. I in- 
quired who it was, and what it was about ? Mr. King- 
horn replied, that he did not know, but believed it to be 
something about subpoenas. Not suspecting that a trap 
had been laid for me, I went readily with him, and two 
Warders, to the Governor's house on the parade. In the 
dining-room into which I was shewn, one of the clerks of 
Mr. White, Solicitor to the Treasury, was sitting alone. 
When we entered, he arose from his seat, with what might 
be taken for an innocent smile on his countenance, and, 
addressing his discourse to me, said, * Mr. Hardy, Mr. 
White omitted to inform you, when he delivered the 
indictment, that your Solicitor, by applying at the Crown 
Office, may have subpoenas for your witnesses without any 
expense to you.' All that I said in reply was, very well 



44 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

and with a low bow returned with the Gaoler and the two 
Warders, in order to return to my room. In my way 
back I met Mr. Clarkson, my Solicitor, and told him where 
I had been^ and what orders I had to give him. He 
replied that he had received a letter from Mr. White, the 
day before, to the same purport. While we were standing- 
together talking, another of Mr. White's clerks, with a 
woman on his arm, came close up to us, and the female 
stared very hard at me. They walked on a few paces, 
then returned, and stared as before. 1 then recollected 
having seen the same couple standing opposite the 
Governor's door, apparently watching me as I came out. 
These two clerks were with White when he delivered the 
indictment ; and this is the Miss Jane Partridge, of Not- 
tingham, one of the witnesses for the Crown. They have 
had recourse to this artifice, to give her an opportunity of 
identifying my person. Before I had returned to my 
room five minutes, the same man whom I saw at the 
Governor's house came up to Thelwall, who is in the next 
room to me, and told him the same he had told me. This 
conduct caused some suspicion. Why should there have 
been such parade about my going to the Governor's, and 
yet the same message be delivered to Thelwall in his own 
room? We have enquired, and find that no such message 
has been sent to any of the other prisoners. There must, 
therefore, be some design in it. 

'* The mystery has been unfolded. Mr. Joyce, of Essex 
Street, informs us, that this woman has been brought to 
the Tower on purpose to see me; and it seems she is 
satisfied that I am the person who travelled with her from 
Nottingham to London, in the stage coach, about two 
years ago ; and what she is to swear to is this : that I said to 
her in the coach that I would no more mind cutting off 
the King's head than I would shaving myself. Take par- 
ticular notice of this woman ; if she swears to such words, 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 45 

she perjures herself, for I never was at Nottingham in my 
life, nor farther north from London, by land, than Hamp- 
stead or Highgate." 

Tower, 20th October, 1794. 

How to counteract the evidence of this very wicked, or 
very much mistaken woman, was a very material point, 
and to be immediately considered. The circumstance 
was, without delay, communicated to the friends of the 
prisoners, and they set actively to work, and found per- 
sons who could prove satisfactorily that Hardy was not 
out of London one whole day, for more than a year 
before, and after the time she was to swear to. 

The hand of Providence is evident in the manner in 
which the testimony that Jane Partridge was to give was 
discovered. What evidence the other witnesses for the 
Crown were to give, had been pretty well ascertained ; 
but to what circumstance she was to bear witness, puzzled 
the friends of the prisoners. It happened, that the same 
evening she had been at the Tower to see Hardy, she 
drank tea with a party of young ladies, among whom 
there chanced to be the sister of Mr.Wardle, one of 
those in the indictment, but not in custody. Here Miss 
Wardle learnt the nature of Jane Partridge's evidence, 
and immediately communicated the circumstance to Mr. 
Joyce, of Essex Street, who went instantly to the Tower, 
and informed Hardy. Thus, great danger was averted ; 
for had nothing been known of the nature of her evidence 
before her coming into Court, it would then be difficult to 
rebut it : there would be no witnesses prepared to prove 
that Hardy had not been at Nottingham, and, conse- 
quently, could not have travelled with Jane Partridge from 
that town to London. When the trial came on, and she 
was ordered into Court, she fainted in the room where the 
Crown witnesses were. When recovered, she was again 



46 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

called in, and again fainted. Whether the managers of 
the prosecution thought it best to dispense with her evi- 
dence, from a fear of its containing some fatal self-con- 
tradictions, or whether they found it impossible, from the 
effect that conscious guilt had upon her, to obtain that evi- 
dence, we know not ; but she was no more called. It is 
clear, however, were her nerves as strong as her heart, and 
those of her employers were corrupt and wicked, that 
she would have ventured her eternal salvation by trying, 
falsely, to swear away the life of a man whom she had 
never seen, until she went to the Tower for that purpose. 

It is to be hoped she lived to repent of her iniquity. If 
she is still living, it may be some consolation to her mind 
to know, that the man whom she would have destroyed 
forgives her. 

A full report of the trial is already before the public. 
It lasted nine days, on the last of which, after the fullest 
investigation that ever took place in this or any other 
country. Hardy was pronounced " NOT GUILTY,"* 
by the unanimous voice of as respectable a jury as ever 
was empannelled. A jury, which, with unremitting 
patience, underwent a fatigue and confinement unparal- 
lelled in the annals of our courts of justice. A jury, on 
whose awful voice depended the liberties of eleven mil- 
lions of their fellow citizens. A jury, whose integrity 
established on a firm basis the first and most important 
pillar of the English Constitution,— THE Trial by 
Jury, which had been greatly on the decline, and much 
tampered with, for some time before, and thereby entitled 

* On hearing of the acquittal of Hardy, John M^Creery, the printer 
and poet, wrote the following lines : — 

Twelve true hearted men held the balance of fate, 
While these Shylocks were whetting the knife : 
Of th' existence of thousands they lengthened the date — 
Their Verdict was Freedom and Life. 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 47 

themselves to the grateful acknowledgments and applause, 
both of the present and of future generations. 

Having thus seen the subject of our Memoir delivered 
by twelve honest men from the power of his merciless 
persecutors, it will not, we trust, be deemed altogether 
foreign to our purpose to say a few words respecting the 
others who were in the same indictment with him. 

Mr. Tooke was the subject of vindictive persecution and 
prosecution, because he had been from early life an ardent 
supporter of the rights of his fellow men. His talents 
were of the first order, and he distinguished himself as an 
active and formidable champion in favour of, what was 
then called, Wilkes and liberty. On that occasion his 
oratory and writings were equally admired, for their 
energy, perspicuity, independence, and constitutional 
spirit. 

In spite of the oppressions and violence of the Court, 
Mr. Wilkes, in 1768, became a candidate for the county 
of Middlesex. On that occasion, Mr. Home rode through- 
out the whole county, canvassing for him, which was the 
principal cause of his being elected. Mr. Home was 
brought to the bar of the House of Commons, for a letter 
signed ** Strike but Hear,'' published in The Public 
Advertizer, 14th of February, 1774, in favour of a petition 
of W. Tooke, Esq. respecting the enclosing of an estate. 
Shortly afterwards, by virtue of an Act of Parliament, he 
took the name of Tooke, at the desire of the same gentle- 
man, who adopted him, and left him that estate which he 
had preserved from being swallowed up to satisfy the 
cormorant appetite of the law, at a time when he expected 
no other advantage from such essential services, than the 
conscious satisfaction of having procured justice to be 
done to a fellow citizen, about to be injured under the 
mask of legal forms. It is gratifying to see such eminent 
virtue and talent meet with their well merited reward, in 



48 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

such very unequivocal testimony of friendship and grati- 
tude, as was thus given by Mr. Tooke to Mr. Home, now 
Home Tooke. 

Mr. Tooke's trial lasted six, Thelwall's four days ; and 
the prosecutors, finding they could not obtain a conviction, 
declined proceeding with the trials of the other nine. 

Mr. John Thelwall is well known, and highly esteemed 
as a public lecturer on politics, classical literature, and 
general education, in London, and various other parts of 
England and Scotland. He is also the author of many 
valuable works in prose and verse, and still lives highly 
and deservedly respected by a great number of his coun- 
trymen. 

Stewart Kyd was an eminent barrister, author of a 
great law work, and of several political productions. 

Augustus Bonney, an attorney of great repute. 

Jeremiah Joyce, a man of great worth, and highly 
esteemed by all who knew him ; was some years in the 
family of the late Earl Stanhope, as tutor to his sons. 
He was the author of several excellent sermons, some 
political tracts, and various valuable works on the arts and 
sciences. 

Thomas Holcroft, a celebrated novelist, dramatic writer, 
and traveller. 

The other five were John Richter, Thomas Wardle, 
Matthew Moore, Richard Hodgson, and John Baxter : all 
excellent men, and sincere and active promoters of Par- 
liamentary Reform. 

As severe sufferers in the same great cause, it is to be 
hoped that a very brief notice of those gentlemen who 
were tried at Edinburgh, will not be deemed out of place 
here. They were all men of education and talents, and 
their only crime was being sincere in a cause from which 
Mr. Pitt had become an apostate. The proceedings 
as:ainst them in the Court of Justiciary of Scotland, ex- 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 49 

cited universal odium throughout the country, and were 
execrated in terms of indignation by several Members of 
both Houses of Parliament. 

Skirving and Gerald did not live long after their arrival 
at Botany Ba}'. Palmer, and another, purchased a vessel 
which had been a prize taken into Botany Bay, and intended 
coming home in her ; but she was very leaky, and they 
were obliged to put into, as it happened, the very port to 
which the vessel belonged, where she was re- seized with 
ber cargo, consisting of poor Palmer's whole property. 
Here all his sufferings closed soon after. 

Mr. Margaret was a man of a strong philosophical 
understanding, ready wit, undaunted courage, and incor- 
ruptible integrity. He was the only one, of the five^ who 
returned to his native country. He died about fifteen 
years ago. 

Mr. Thomas Muir, younger, of Hunter's Hill, was a 
man animated by strong enthusiasm, insomuch that even 
some Reformers blamed him for the indiscretion of his 
zeal ; but it must be admitted that the zeal that is re- 
quired to reform a system of abuses, ought to be intense, 
and should obtain forgiveness for any slight excesses it 
may run into. The following letter, written by Hardy to 
a friend, with a print of Muir, and containing quotations 
from his address to the Jury, and the Lord Justice Clerk, 
will clearly evince the rectitude of his intentions, and that 
he did not think his punishment, by any means, an igno- 
miny. 

" Dear Sir, 

I was very much gratified when you informed me, the other day, 
that you had in your possession a, box of manuscripts, letters, 
and papers, of that excellent man, the late Thomas Muir, who 
was cruelly sentenced hy the Court of Justiciary, of Edin- 



50 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY* 

burgh, on the 31st of August, 1793, to 14 years transportation, 
to the inhospitable shore of Botany Bay. For what ? Whatwas 
his crime ? Strange to tell — for a life of virtuous conduct up to 
that hour. Hear what he says to the Jury at the close of his 
celebrated defence. " This is now, perhaps, the last time that 
I shall address my country. I have explored the tenor of my 
past life. Nothing shall tear me from the record of my de- 
parted days. From my infancy to this moment, I have de- 
voted myself to the cause of the people. It is a good cause ; 
it shall ultimately prevail; it shall finally triumph. Say 
then, openly, in your verdict, if you do condemn me, which I 
presume you will not, that it is to this cause alone, and not 
for those vain and vrretched pretexts stated in the indictment, 
intended only to colour and disguise the real motives of my 
accusation. Weigh well the verdict you are to pronounce. 
As for me, I am careless and indifferent to my fate. I can 
look danger, I can look death in the face, for I am shielded 
by the consciousness of my own rectitude. Nothing can 
deprive me of the resolution of the past. Nothing can destroy 
my inward peace of mind, arising from the remembrance of 
having done my duty." 

After the Judge had delivered the sentence, Mr. Muir rose, 
and said : — " My Lord Justice Clerk, I have only a few words 
to say. I shall not animadvert on the severity or the leniency of 
my sentence. Were I to be led this moment from the bar to the 
scaffold, I should feel the same calmness and serenity which I 
now do. My mind tells me, that I have acted agreeably to my 
cmiscience, and that I have engaged in a good — a just and a 
glorious cause, a cause which sooner or later must, and will pre- 
vail; and, by a timely reform, save this country from destruc- 
tion." 

With this I send a print of Thomas Muir for your ac- 
ceptance. 

When the Surprise transport was tyiiag off Portsmouth, at 
Motherbank, in which these persecuted patriots, Muir, Palmer, 
Margarot, and Skirving, were sent to Botainy Bay, I was on 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 51 

board of her at the time, and saw Mr. Banks, who was an 
eminent statuary, take a cast from Muir's face, from which he 
afterwards made a bust, and from which the present engraving 
is taken. It is a good likeness. 

Accept, Dear Sir, the best wishes of 

THOMAS HARDY." 

Srd March, 1821. 
To Mr. Wither spoon ^ Cheapside. 

Mair escaped from Botany Bay, on board a South Sea 
Whaler ; was shipwrecked on the coast of South Ame- 
rica, and after a variety of hardships reached the Ha- 
vaunah. His misfortunes did not end here. He took a 
passage on board of a Spanish vessel for Europe ; and this 
country being- at that time at war with Spain, they were 
attacked by a British frigate, off Cadiz. In this rencounter 
a splinter struck Muir on the cheek, part of which it car- 
ried away, and destroyed the sight of one of his eyes. 
The Spanish vessel was boarded, and he was recognized, 
while lying among the wounded, by a British officer, as an 
old acquaintance, and this circumstance enabled him to 
get to Spain. At the invitation of the National Con- 
vention, he went soon afterwards to France, where the 
Government granted him a pension, which he enjoyed 
until his death. 

The particulars of his eventful life have been recently 
published. 

It was a most fortunate circumstance that the public 
prosecutor made choice of Hardy as the first victim to be 
sacrificed to ministerial vengeance. Had the friends of 
Reform themselves the election, a better could not have 
been made. Perhaps there never was a man, in any 
country, brought to the bar of a Court of Justice, for an 
imputed great crime, who could find so many respectable 
and creditable persons to testify to the uniform goodness of 

e2 



52 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

his private and moral character. So numerous, indeed, 
were they, that his learned, eloquent, and excellent 
counsel, Erskine, and Gibbs, deemed it unnecessary to 
bring any thing like the whole of them forward. 

During the whole of the trial, the conscious rectitude of 
his own heart shone conspicuously through that index of 
the mind, the face. There the court, the jury, the 
learned bar, and the anxious and highly interested audi- 
tory, might plainly read the integrity of the honest man ; 
the inflexible firmness of the patriot, proud of having been 
called to answer, even with his life, for his exertions in 
the cause of freedom ; for his efforts to obtain for him- 
self, and fellow countrymen, a restoration of those inesti- 
mable rights which had raised the British name to that 
pre-eminence it had so long held among surrounding 
nations, and the abandoning" of which would have de- 
graded it to a level with the most slavish of them. 

The room in which he was confined in Newgate, during 
his trial, was in the inner prison, and he had, every morn- 
ing, to walk through the yard in which the felons were 
allowed to walk. They were heavily ironed, some with 
single, and some with double fetters. They were upon 
each side, and as he walked through the middle, he 
found that even men of that description could distinguish 
between a man suffering for the assertion of honest prin- 
ciples, and those suffering for a breach of those moral 
restraints that bind society together. 

They all expressed their good wishes towards him, in one 
way or other, and congratulated him on his good spirits. 

When he passed the room in which Mr. Kyd was con- 
fined, every morning, they shook hands through the iron 
grating. On the third day, he said cheerfully to Kyd, 
** Now, Kyd, this day, death or liberty ;" but he was mis- 
taken, for his persecutors protracted the struggle as long 
as they had any hopes of success. 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 53 

Mr. Ridgway, Mr. Symonds, and others, were confiued 
on the State side of the prison for libels, or, in other 
words, for publishing the truth. As he passed here every 
morning, on his way to the court, they crowded to the 
gate, anxious to shake hands with him, and to express 
their good wishes. One morning as he passed the gate in 
high spirits, he said to Ridgway, ** We are going to have 
another long spell at it to-day." On the Sunday before the 
trial finished, as he was walking in the yard with Mr. Kyd, 
and some others of his fellow prisoners, Mr. Kirby, the 
Keeper of Newgate, asked him if he would like to see the 
condemned cells— he accepted the invitation, without any 
hesitation, and went along with Kirby, accompanied by 
his friend Kyd. The poor unfortunate men were then 
walking in a small yard opposite the doors of their melan- 
choly dwellings ; consequently the cells were empty. 
What conversation took place, or what remarks were 
made by Hardy on those horrible places, it is unnecessary 
to repeat; but we may conceive that the sight was not 
very pleasing to a man in his situation, when it was un- 
certain whether he might not be lodged in one of them 
himself in two or three days. 

Immediately on the words '* Not Guilty" being 
pronounced by the foreman of the worthy jury, the Ses- 
sions House, where the court sat, was almost rent with 
loud and reiterated shouts of applause. The vast multi- 
tude that were waiting anxiously without, caught the joy- 
ful sound, and like an electric shock, or the rapidity of 
lightning, the glad tidings spread through the whole 
town, and were conveyed much quicker than the regular 
post could travel, to the most distant parts of the island, 
where all ranks of people were anxiously awaiting the 
result of the trial. 

After these extraordinary effusions of joy had a little 

e3 



54 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

abated in the court, Mr. Kirby, the Gaoler, advised Hardy 
to go through the prison to the debtor's door, where a 
coach was in readiness to convey him, according to his 
directions, to tiie house of his brother-in-law, Mr. Walne, 
in Lancaster Court, in the Strand ; for he had no house of 
his own left to go to, nor family to welcome him home. 
Although he went into the coach as privately as possible, 
and drove down Snow Hill, yet he was observed by some 
persons, and the circumstance was announced to the mul- 
titude, who turned it into another direction, drove it along 
Fleet Market ; and when they came to the end of Fleet 
Street, the concourse of people was very great, though it 
was a bleak rainy afternoon in the gloomy month of 
November. Here they stopped the coach, took out the 
horses, and drew it along Fleet Street, the Strand, Pall- 
Mall, St. James's Street, Piccadilly, the Haymarket, and 
back again to Lancaster Court, where he alighted. He 
addressed the people from the window in a short speech, 
after which they gave three cheers, and quietly dispersed, 
leaving him to enjoy the evening with some particular 
friends, among whom were the Rev. Dr. Bogne, and Rev. 
James Steven. During the procession, the people fre- 
quently stopped, and shouted at different places, such as 
Charing Cross, Carleton House, and St. James's Palace. 
At No. 9, Piccadilly, his former comfortable habitation, 
they stopped a few minutes in solemn silence. 

The joy that appeared in every countenance of the vast 
multitudes of people who thronged the windows of the 
houses, in the streets through which the procession passed, 
was truly gratifying. In fact, the general joy that the 
acquittal of Hardy diffused throughout the country, was 
never exceeded, perhaps never equalled. It was heartfelt 
and extensive ; the triumph of freedom was complete over 
those who wished to crush it at one blow; and every 
liberal-minded man felt himself, and not without reason. 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 55 

as if anexpectedly relieved from some terrible impendiog^ 
danger. 

Shortly after a public meeting, at which Earl Stanhope 
presided, was held at the Crown and Anchor, to celebrate 
the result of the State Trials. All parts of the house were 
filled, and it was calculated that the assemblage consisted 
of no fewer than a thousand persons. This meeting was 
addressed by the noble chairman, by Sheridan, and other 
gentlemen, with animation and effect ; and the friends of 
Parliamentary Reform have met annually on the 5th of 
November, to commemorate the acquittal of Thomas 
Hardy from a charge of High Treason, on the same day 
of the month, 1794. On these occasions it is expected, 
when a gentleman's health is drank, that, on returning 
thanks, he will make a speech ; but Hardy, not being an 
orator, has, of late years, previously committed to paper 
what he had to say on his health being drank. Three 
such addresses, with their dates, will be placed at the end 
of this sketch, and in which will be found an interesting 
account of some circumstances relating to the London 
Corresponding Society, not mentioned in the Memoir. 

We shall close the political part of this Memoir with the 
following address to the jury, the counsel, and his friends 
in general ; and we hope that the reader, who has thus far ac- 
companied us, will find it consistent with the proper feel- 
ing evinced by Hardy throughout the whole of his impri- 
sonment and trial. It was published in all the News- 
papers of the time. 

ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC. 

a \\riTH a heart overflowing with gratitude, I now sit down 
to the most pleasing task which I have experienced in the 
course of my life. Little did I imagine that the public efforts 
I have made, in support of that cause which I deemed it my 
duty to promote to the utmost of my power, would have ex- 

e4 



66 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

eited, in so great a degree, the most lively emotions of affec- 
tionate regard in the bosoms of thousands to whom I am un- 
known, but by name. — But so it has happened, and I fee/ 
myself labouring under a weight of obligations, which I am 
ardently anxious to discharge, as far as my ability will permit. 
** Untutored in any language but that of truth, I proceed, 
without fear of the attack either of prejudice or malevolence, 
to pay the debt I owe, as far as I am able. 

" To Mr. Erskine and Mr. Gibbs, the two learned 
Counsel appointed for my defence, 1 beg permission, in this 
public manner, to return my best and warmest acknowledg- 
ments. — Any words in my power to use, would fall far short 
of expressing what they truly deserve, and what I reallY 
FEEL they deserve. I have, however, this animating reflec- 
tion in my mind, that every defect in my powers of expression 
to do them justice, is abundantly compensated by the force and 
eloquence of their own respective exertions, and that their 
transcendant talents and integrity cannot fail to stand recorded, 
not only on the minds of the present race, but will receive ad- 
ditional lustre in every progressive movement their names shall 
make through the progress of time. 

** To THAT Public, whose servant I have always been 
proud to acknowledge myself, I am equally at a loss for words 
to express the grateful sensations of my heart.— The feeling 
manner in which they have sympathized in my sufferings, 
while it gives a delight to my heart which no language can 
describe, almost disables me, from the overflowings of that 
source of sensibility, to perform my duty ; — but the softness of 
nature gives way to the impetus of gratitude, and I beg leave 
to say to a generous public, 

be pleased to accept my thanks. 
*' Acquitted by the unanimous voice of a jury of my 
country, from the charge of a crime at which my soul revolts, 
and my nature shudders, I find it impossible to express my gra- 
titude to THEM in any degree adequate to what I feel. I 
must, therefore, intreat them for a moment to suppose them- 
selves in my situation, and conceive what they would have 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 57 

said to me, had I, in similar circumstances, been their arbiter, 
and given the same decision in their behalf. I have no doubt 
but, in the consciousness of the rectitude of their ov\^n hearts, 
they feel a far greater reward than any in the power of mortal 
man to bestow ; — but what I can I will : — I sincerely and 

FERVENTLY THANK THEM, 

" Small, indeed, is the return for the preservation of life 
and honour ; — it is only the grateful effusions of a plain and 
poor man, but it comes warm from the heart, and, like the 
widow's mite, is all I have to give. 

*' Restored to my friends and country after an absence of 
several months, in the course of which, all my family have 
descended into the peaceful tomb, I find my business 
ruined, and I have the world to begin again. I therefore 
take this opportunity of informing my friends, in particu- 
lar, and the public in general, that I intend to resume my 
occupation, and to support myself as heretofore, by honest in- 
dustry. I have not yet been able to find an eligible situation for 
opening a shop ; but as soon as I can accomplish that object, 
I shall take the liberty of making it known, and have no doubt 
of receiving that encouragement and support which injured in- 
nocence never yet has failed to obtain in this generous and 
liberal island. 

*' THOMAS HARDY." 
Lancaster Court, Strand, 
Nov. 11, 1794. 

It has already been mentioned that Hardy had many 
flattering offers made to him, if he would go and settle in 
America,* and it is no wonder, on his acquittal, finding 

* When Mr. Adams, the first Ambassador from the United States, was 
in this country, his son-in-law, Col. Smith, was his private Secretary. 
With that gentleman Hardy was very intimate, and supplied him with 
boots and shoes while he remained in England. Colonel Smith held out 
great encouragement to him if he would go and carry on his business in 
America. Hardy called on him one day, at the beginning of the London 
Corresponding Society, and shewed liiin the first Address, with which he 



68 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

himself pennyless, his whole property having been ex- 
pended in defending himself from the base charges ex^- 
hibited against him, and his trade totally ruined, in conse- 
quence of his imprisonment, that he should have formed a 
resolution of bidding an everlasting adieu to a country 
where he had been thus maltreated : to a country where 
he had been so incurably wounded in his dearest affec- 
tions ; where he saw the most exalted virtues treated as 
the greatest crimes ; where he had been persecuted to the 
imminent danger of his life, for what he himself, and all 
such as he could consider upright men, deemed his virtuous 
efforts, to restore to his fellow countrymen the inestimable 
blessing of a Free Parliament, fairly chosen by the 
people. For these reasons, and they were sufficiently 
weighty, he finally determined to expatriate himself; but 
alt human intentions must yield to the overruling power of 
the Omnipotent, who, in his wisdom, thought fit it should 
be otherwise. Though moneyless, he was not friendless ; 
for, in fact, his friends were numerous, and some of them 
were sanguine in their hopes that, if he would recommence 
business in London, he would soon realize an independent 
fortune, which they said would prove some recompense, 
though an inadequate one, for all his wrongs and suffer- 
ings. He suffered himself, therefore, to be persuaded ; 
altered his resolution, and recommenced business, in 
Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, on the 29th of 
November, 1794, 

The public were certainly much interested in his favour; 
and the orders which he received, for the first two weeks, 
employed himself, and another man, merely to take mea- 
sure^ and to enter them in the book. Many paid for their 

■was well pleased, and, for his encouragement, said to Hardy, " Hardy, the 
Government will hang you." Though this prophecy was afterwards too 
near being fulfilled, yet he still lives a monument of the excellence of the 
Trial by Jury. 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY, 69 

orders at the time of giving- them ; some ordered two pair 
of shoes, and paid a guinea, and a few paid a guinea for 
one pair ; and these the newspapers magnified to a thou- 
sand, at a guinea a pair. Multitudes of people, of all 
ranks and sexes, in carriages, and on foot, came to congra- 
tulate him; and crowds of persons were continually collected 
about the door and the windows, out of curiosity to see 
him. The shop, though large, was always full, from 
morning till night, and thus continued for, perhaps, two 
or three months, when it fell off gradually. 

He employed, at first, six shopmen, to assist in carrying 
on the business ; and it was, at one time, apparently en- 
creasing ; but when the public curiosity was satisfied, it 
began to decrease, and, at the end of six months, he found 
occasion for no more than two shopmen, and, within twelve 
months, for only one. 

After his business had thus fallen to the level of ordi- 
nary trade, he found that, what with a large house, high rent, 
and high taxes, he was retrograding as rapidly as he had 
at first progressed. There were many unfounded reports 
spread abroad of the patronage which he received from a 
variety of quarters, which, though many wished and be- 
lieved them true, operated greatly to his disadvantage. 
For instance, it was said, his landlord, the Duke of Bed- 
ford, had given him the house he inhabited rent free ; that 
another nobleman had made him a present of five hundred 
pounds ; and another had settled a hundred a year upon 
him. In consequence of these, and similar rumours, 
many gentlemen, who had intended to befriend him,^ 
thought it unnecessary, as they were led to believe he was 
already liberally provided for by the noble and the 
wealthy. They, therefore, turned their benevolence into 
other channels, and bestowed their favours upon others 
who they thought stood more in need of them — and, alas ! 
many, there were who liad really need of support from the 



60 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

benevolent, at that time. So very injurious did these 
reports prove, that one of his leather merchants, in little 
more than a year, refused him credit. This was the son of 
the worthy Alderman Newman, who had so kindly called 
upon him the second day after his acquittal^ and gene- 
rously offered him credit, if he designed to go into busi- 
ness again, which kind offer he accepted. Another of his 
leather merchants actually served him with a copy of writ 
for a sum under ten pounds, which had been standing two 
months longer than the usual time of credit. 

His journeymen, too, believing that he had greater 
profits on his goods than others had, struck for higher 
wages ; but as they are a class of intelligent men, who can 
readily appreciate any question that is clearly stated to 
them, the following letter convinced them of the propriety 
of returning to their work at the same wages. The cir- 
cumstance, however, which no doubt was owing to the 
unfounded stories which were afloat, was of some incon- 
venience to their employer, who was very busy at the 
time. 

36, Tavistock Street , 24th April, 1795. 

" Fellovv^ Citizens, 

** It is with no small degree of pain, I now address you on 
a subject of considerable importance to me, and, I think I 
may add, of no less importance to you, as a body. 

" I presume you are not unacquainted with the very pecu- 
liar situation I have been in since the beginning of last May. 
Six months of that time I was immured in a prison ; and it 
must be fresh in the memory of every one of you the cruel 
persecution I suffered, and the probability there was of my 
being hurried from the prison to the scaffold ; but thank God 
it has been ordered otherwise, for the happiness of individuals, 
and the peace of the nation. Immediately on my regaining my 
liberty, T had some thoughts of leaving that country in which 
I had been so maltreated ; but 1 found a great number of my 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 61 

friends, and friends also to the happiness of mankind, solici- 
tous that I should remain in London, and go into business 
again, as I might be sure of a very extensive trade among 
those who felt for my situation, and were friendly to the cause 
I had espoused and suffered for. Accordingly, I was pre- 
vailed upon, took the house I now occupy; and, certainly, I 
have done a great deal of business within the last five months. 
N^umbers employed me from real friendship ; some came to see 
me from motives of curiosity, and gave orders, whom it is not 
likely I shall ever see again. Others, who came from the 
mere novelty of the thing, honestly told me that they did not 
mean to continue after the first orders, but to return again to 
their old shoemakers : very few have given me a second or- 
der. The whole of my customers are among what is called the 
middling and lower class of the people, who cannot, or who 
do not choose to give a high price for their shoes and boots. 
They must, also, have them strong, or, to use a common 
phrase, they must have a pennyworth for their penny. Not 
so the generality of the higher ranks of society, who care not 
how light their goods are, nor how high the prices. I have to 
inform you that my price for boots is £1. 8s., and for shoes 
8s. 6d., some lower. When I opened this shop, I advanced 
the journeymen sixpence a pair on the shoes and boots above 
what I formerly used to give, which some of you may remem- 
ber. Bootcloser's wages I also advanced. 

*' I have chosen to give you an open and candid statement 
of facts, which you, as a collective body, are to judge of be- 
twixt me and those whom I formerly employed ; and I think 
you have sufficient discernment to discover why T could not 
comply with the demand of my workmen. 

*' I ask no favour; I only wish for that which is just be- 
tween man and man. — I have here to remark, that, according 
to my feeble ability, I have always been an enemy to all in- 
justice and oppression, and for my opposition to them have 
suffered persecution ; but I am still determined, as far as I 
can, to resist injustice or oppression, from whatever quarter 



02 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

they may be attempted, whether by my declared enemies, or 
my professed friends, though I should fall in the conflict. 

" These few hasty thoughts I leave to your deliberation ; 
and if there is any thing which I have not stated of which you 
wish to be informed, I am ready to explain, or give every rea- 
sonable information in my power to any two or three intelligent 
men you may depute for that purpose. I conclude, with sin- 
cerely wishing you, and all mankind, health and fraternity. 

" THOMAS HARDY." 

To the Society of Journeymen 
Boot and Shoemakers* 

Though this letter dispelled the delusion under which 
the journeymen had laboured, with respect to their em« 
ployer's growing fortunes, yet others continued still in 
that delusion. Soon after the State Trials, in 1794, John 
Redman, Esq. of Hatton Garden, made a will, in which 
he put Hardy down for a legacy ; but, in a subsequent 
one, made about four years afterwards, his name was 
omitted, for which no reason can be assigned, except that 
the testator, like many others, thought the bequest un- 
necessary. This is the more likely, as Mr. Redman, as 
iong as he lived, continued to employ him as his shoe- 
maker. A few days after that gentleman's death. Dr. 
Cooke called upon Hardy, in Fleet Street, and congratu- 
lated him upon the fortune that had been left him : 
though he did not then know but it might be true that 
such was the case, yet, having been amused with so many 
stories of great things, for some years past, he did not feel 
much elated at the intelligence. He merely thanked the 
Doctor for his good wishes, and observed, that if it was 
large it should be applied to benevolent purposes, and if 
small, it would assist him in carrying on his business, for 
he then had need of assistance — and if it should prove as 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 63 

unreal as the other gifts and legacies he had been pro- 
mised, and said to have received, he could jog on his old 
way without it : for his happy temper enabled him to 
take all things very easy, whether adverse or prosperous. 
Another legacy, which another gentleman was reported to 
have left to him, turned out to be as unsubstantial as the 
last. 

One disappointment, in the legacy way, is particularly 
worthy of remark. A gentleman, of large fortune, in 
Derbyshire, of the name of Kant, soon after the State 
Trials, in 1794, made his will, and in testimony of 
his approbation of the ability, patriotic exertions, and 
splendid eloquence, displayed by Mr. Erskine, in his 
defence of Hardy, bequeathed him an estate worth up- 
wards of thirty thousand pounds. Hardy himself was, 
also, handsomely mentioned in the will, to which Mr. 
Kant afterwards added a codicil. He died about seven 
years afterwards, and his attorney came up to London 
with the will inclosed in a letter, written by the gentleman 
himself at the time of making it. After Mr. Erskine had 
read the letter, he asked the attorney if he had taken the 
proper legal steps to make the codicil valid. He replied, 
no : then said Mr. Erskine, " By God you have lost me the 
estate !" Mr. Erskine sent for Hardy a few days after- 
wards, told him what had happened, and said that the will 
was void, through the ignorance, or villainy, of a stupid 
country attorney. Thus ended the last of the legacies. 

That the rumours which were afloat, respecting the 
generous and liberal support which Hardy was receiving 
from the wealthy friends of liberty, should have been so 
readily, and so generally believed, may seem somewhat 
strange ; but the following letters will, perhaps, in a great 
measure, account for some, if not for all of them. There 
the nucleus will be seen ; and we know that rumour, in its 



64 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

nature, very much resembles a snow-ball, which gathers 
fresh matter rapidly as it rolls along. 

" Friend Lauderdale, 

'' I cannot help addressing you by that familiar and endear- 
ing title. You have boldly exerted yourself in defence of the 
rights, and done what you could to promote the happiness of 
the people, both in your place in the Senate, and on other 
public occasions, in opposition to an all-powerful and an all- 
devouring Oligarchy. — From such conduct, persevered in, you 
deserve the title of Friend to your country. When I have said 
this much, I am not sensible that I have said any thing more 
than the truth. Give me leave now to turn your attention to 
a few facts which concern myself, and which you have either 
forgotten, or are perhaps unacquainted with. Of some of 
those, however, I know you are not ignorant, and I think 
they cannot have escaped your memory. 

" Upwards of two years ago, a few days after my acquittal 
from the charge of High Treason, Mr. Jaques, the coal mer- 
chant, called upon me with a message, to wait upon you the 
next evening. He told me, also, that he understood from you, 
that something handsome was to be done for me. This intelli- 
gence, no doubt, was very pleasing; especially from the quar- 
ter from which it came, and as my circumstances were then in 
such a state as required the assistance of friends. I readily 
embraced the flattering invitation ; with a chearful heart I set 
off to wait upon you, and was soon admitted into the room 
where you. Colonel Maitland, and Dr. Moore,* were sitting. 
After some very friendly and familiar conversation about the 
trial, the treatment I met with during my confinement, the 
state of my mind during the trial, and my own opinion as to 
the event of it, with a variety of things, which were the com- 
mon topics at that important period, important to me, at least. 
You then informed me that you, and several gentlemen, con-r 

* The father of the brave General Sir Joljn Moore, 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. <i5 

sidering me as a very much injured and persecuted man, had 
determined to present me with a sum of money, in order to 
assist me in beginning business again, (as a proof of their sin- 
cerity.) You told me, at the same time, that you had already 
in your hands for this purpose no less a sum than one hundred 
pounds, and that next day you were going down to the Duke 
of Bedford's, where you expected to make it considerably 
more, from him and his friends. You desired me to call upon 
you the next day but one, when you would return from Wo- 
burn, and you would inform me what success you had. When 
I was about to depart, Colonel Maitland said to you, that you 
might as well let Hardy have that hundred pounds now, but I 
replied, that I had no immediate use for it just at that time, 
and that, until I got a house and shop, it might remain in your 
hands. — It was so settled, and I took my leave. Agreeably 
to your appointment, I did call on the next day but one, but 
it was said you was not at home. Your Butler, with whom I 
was intimate, informed me that it was your desire that I should 
call in the evening; I did so, but was told that you was just 
gone out. I was desired to call again in the morning, and 
even then you was engaged, and could not be spoken with. I 
was told, however, that if I came again in the evening, about 
six or seven o'clock, you would then be at leisure. I did 
call, but, as usual, you could not be seen ; you had got com- 
pany—so from morning to night, and from night to morning, 
alternately, for several weeks, did I continue this fruitless 
pursuit, till I was quite ashamed of being so troublesome 
to the servants. I felt, too, that the trouble I myself had 
was too much to intitle me to suppose, that I would at 
last be successful, notwithstanding your friendly and unso- 
licited professions towards me. I, therefore, determined to 
call no more, though I should beg for my daily bread. This 
resolution I formed and kept. I heard no more about that 
business till some time, I think, in last January, excepting 
from a variety of people, both in London, and from different 
parts of the country, and even from Ireland, who were profuse 
in their congratulations, on the many civilities and marks of 

F 



66 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

friendship, which they were told I had received from you arid 
the Duke of Bedford, &c. 

** Some time in January, 1796, to the best of my recollection, 
I accidentally met with you, in company with Mr. Grey, and 
Mr. Tierney, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern : I dare 
say you may recollect the circumstance. You left them, and 
took me aside, and asked me very kindly how I did, and told 
me to call upon you next morning, or any other time that was 
most convenient, as you had forty pounds in your hands for 
me~twenty that Earl Derby gave, and twenty that you meant 
to give yourself; and that if I did not see you, Mr. Bow- 
maker, (your Steward,) would account with me. You then 
left me, and joined the company of Mr. Grey, and Mr. 
Tierney again, and went up stairs to the Whig Club Meeting. 
Two days afterwards I called at your house in Leicester 
Square, but received the same sort of answer which I had 
been accustomed to receive before. You was not at home. I 
called many times for several weeks, but could not meet with 
either you or Mr. Bowmaker ; till at last, either by accident, 
or convenience, I know not which, neither is it material to me, 
I met with Mr. Bowmaker, and stopped with him about two 
hours conversing, very dryly, indeed, about the public news, 
&c. expecting every moment when he would mention some- 
thing of the business to me, as I understood from your Butler 
you had made your Steward acquainted with it. When I found 
that he took no notice of it, and my patience being by this 
time exhausted, I mustered courage enough to inform him 
what you had told me at the Crown and Anchor Tavern. He 
replied that he did not know any thing of it, but that he should 
speak to you about it jbhat same day, and desired me to call 
again the next morning. Agreeably to his appointment I 
called, expecting to meet with him, but he happened, also, not 
to be at home, but had informed the Butler that he had not an 
opportunity of speaking to his Lordship ; but I was to call the 
next morning. Time after time was I put off with these sorts 
of answers, for several weeks, 'till at last I was told, (to save 
me the trouble of calling so frequently), that Mr. Bowmaker 



MEMOIR or THOMAS HARDY. 67 

was going into the City, about two or three o'clock that same 
afternoon, and would call upon me as he passed. 

** That answer, I assure you, was a considerable relief to me, 
for, at that period, time was a little more value to me than it 
is at present, or has been ever since ; and as it left me without 
a pretence of again troubling you or your servants, I have ever 
since carefully avoided mentioning the subject. 

** Various are the constructions which may be put upon the 
commencement, the progress, and the termination of this 
business, so far as you are individually concerned ; I would 
really wish to put the most favourable construction upon it 
if I knew it; I cannot see how I can have deserved to 
be tantalized in the manner I have described, which is a literal 
statement of facts, of which you cannot be altogether ignorant. 
I have been buoyed up with the hope of friendship, and have 
found myself left in the possession of the name only ; and the 
report of it throughout the nation, instead of being of service to 
me, has operated very materially to my injury. Many who I 
knew had designed to befriend me, hearing of your liberality, 
and that of others, were, in fact, induced to turn their civilities 
another way, concluding that a man who was so handsomely 
and powerfully supported by the rich and the noble, stood in 
no need of the countenance which their slender ability enabled 
them to bestow. One Nobleman, they were told, had given me 
a free house to live in — another had settled upon me a hundred 
a year for life — and a third had presented me with a purse of 
five hundred guineas ; and a thousand stories, equally absurd, 
ridiculous, and improbable, were industriously spread abroad. 
Some people rejoiced at my good fortune, while others, of a 
different temper, were filled with envy at seeing fortune ap- 
parently smiling so abundantly upon me — and it was stated 
with confidence by all, that I should not have occasion to 
remain in business above two or three years ; that I was 
making a fortune rapidly, &c. Sorry am I to be obliged to 
say, that the contrary with me is a lamentable truth. 

*' Your proffered kindness certainly was unexpected, and un- 
merited on my part; but being so handsomely offered, and, 

f2 



08 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

after a lapse of two years, remaining unperformed, it appears 
to me that I cannot be too presuming in considering myself to 
have a fair claim to some sort of explanation ; without this, I 
must be led to suppose that since the first time you spoke to 
me, some particular part of my conduct has deprived me of 
that esteem which I had flattered myself I possessed in your 
mind, and put a stop to those liberal and generous exertions in 
my behalf, which you were good enough to think my unjust 
persecution demanded; or, perhaps, you may have been led 
into the same error as many others, by believing what is so 
confidently, though falsely asserted, that I had such an overflow 
of business, that it was of little use either to assist or employ me. 
If those real friends, who, amidst the foolish and ridiculous 
reports that are so industriously circulated, did assist and em- 
ploy me, and continue still so to do, had argued in this way, 
it is not difficult to conceive where I would have been long 
ere now. 

" Whatever may have been your motives respecting me, from 
first to last, I hope I shall stand excused for troubling you 
with the perusal of this long address. I have ruminated, for 
some time, upon the propriety of this measure, and it has been 
with the utmost reluctance that I at last resolved upon it. In 
carrying that resolution into effect, I conceive that I am doing 
a duty to myself, by endeavouring to procure an explanation 
of a conduct for which I cannot account ; and, perhaps, it may 
ultimately turn out that I am doing justice to you at the same 
time ; for I cannot allow myself to imagine, that the facts 
which I have stated, (which have hitherto been buried in my 
own breast,) can lay claim to the sanction of your name. 

•'THOMAS HARDY. 

2Srd January, 1797. " 36, Tavistock Street.'' 

To the Earl of Lauderdale. 

No notice was taken of this letter, until his Lordship 
was, two years afterwards, reminded of the circumstance, 
by the following letter. 



memoir of thomas hardy. 0» 

" My Lord, 
** It is by the desire and advice of some friends, to whom my 
situation and circumstances in life are no secret, and to whom 
I long since made known the promises, which, at different 
times, I have received from your Lordship, that I now address 
to you a few lines. 

** I need not, I am sure, remind you, that when first you did 
me the favour of an interview, near four years ago, you assured 
me, in the presence of Dr. Moore, and Col. Maitland, that you 
had already received for me, from your friends, the sum of 
£100., in order to assist me in re-entering on my business ; nor 
can there be occasion to say any thing respecting the second 
interview, when you told me that you had received £20. from 
the Earl of Derby for me. These sums, to you, are, no doubt, 
trifling, but to a person in my situation, struggling against 
difficulties, of which you can have no conception, they, (or 
either of them,) are of real moment. 

** My friends have, therefore, urged me to recall these circum- 
stances to your recollection, in the full persuasion that you 
will have the goodness, as speedily as may be, to direct your 
steward, or agent, to realise those expectations, which I was 
so confidently led to indulge from your promises. But if, 
(which I cannot well bring myself to believe,) I have been 
flattered with hopes of assistance, never to be affbrded, or by 
assurances of sums of money, received for my use, which have 
never been subscribed, I hope it will not be reckoned too great 
a favour for me to expect, that the real state of the case may 
be fairly, and, at once, explained to me. I will only add, that 
I have formerly been told by Mr. Perry, who is supposed to 
be much in the secrets of those gentlemen with whom you 
act, that money had been raised for me ; and that very lately, 
I could scarcely gain credit to my assertions, when being put 
into a situation, which obliged me to declare, that I had 
never received any assistance through your Lordship's hands." 

" THOMAS HARDY. 
August 24, 1798. *' 161, Fleet Street.'' 

To the Earl of Lauderdale. 

f3 



70 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

On tlie 4th of September following, Hardy received 
forty pounds, tiomty from the Earl of Lauderdale him- 
self and twenty from the Earl of Derby, accompanied by 
the following Note. 

*' Edin., Saturday, 
" Sir, 
" I have this day received yours ; I have always forgot to send 
you £40., which, however, I now enclose you ; except Lord 
Derby, I could collect from nobody ; it is, therefore, £20. 
from him, and £20. from myself. I am very ill in bed, and 
can hardly write. 

" Yours, &c. &c. 

" LAUDERDALE. 

" On reading your letter a second time, I see you say I had 
received £100. for you, in which you are completely wrong, 
£20. was the whole, and this, together with my own, you 
might have received at any time. 

" Pray acknowledge the receipt." 

On the receipt of this sum, Plardy wrote Notes of 
acknowledgment, of which the following are copies. 

" My Lord, 

" I RECEIVED your letter, enclosing a draft for £40., £20. 
was from the Earl of Derby. Accept my warmest thanks for 
your Lordship's kindness to me. Sincerely hoping that your 
health may be speedily restored, and that your country may 
long be benefited by your exertions in the cause of public 
liberty and happiness, 

" I remain, with great respect, 

" Your obliged and obedient servant, 

" THOMAS HARDY. 

" 161, Fleet Street:' 
September 7, 1798. 

To the Earl of Lauderdale, 



memoir of thomas hardy. 71 

** My Lord, 
** Having received £20. from your Lordship, through the 
hands of the Earl of Lauderdale, 1 beg leave to offer you my 
most grateful acknowledgments for this act of kindness. Be 
assured, that vi^hile I have life, I can never forget the good- 
ness of those gentlemen who have so generously stepped for- 
ward to assist me in sustaining the difficulties in which I was 
involved by a public prosecution. Hoping that my country 
may long enjoy your exertions for her liberty and happiness, 

** I remain, with the greatest respect, 

" Your much obliged and obedient servant, 

- THOMAS HARDY. 

" 161, Fleet Street." 
September 11, 1798. 

To the Earl of Derby, 

"While upon pecuniary matters, it will be proper to 
insert here the following correspondence, which took place 
between Thomas Hardy, The Right Honourable 
Henry Dundas, the Duke of Portland, and The King. 

" Sir, 
** On the 12th of May, 1794, various effects of mine were 
seized, and carried away from my house, No. 9, Piccadilly, 
by a messenger, under a warrant, bearing your signature. I 
make this application to you, to demand their immediate res- 
titution. 

" THOMAS HARDY. 

** 36, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden. 
" October 12, 1796." 
To the Right Hon. Henry Dundas. 



'' Sir, 
" I REPEAT the demand which I made to you last week ; 
namely, that you would restore to me immediately my pro- 

F 4 



72 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

perty, which was seized in my house, No. 9, Piccadilly, on 
the 12th of May, 1794, by a warrant, bearing your signature. 

" THOMAS HARDY. 

*' 36, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden/^ 

October 22, 1796. 
To the Right Hon. Henry Dundas. 



" Mr. Dundas has received Mr. Hardy's letter, which he 
has transmitted to the Secretary of State for the Home De- 
partment, to whom the consideration of the subject exclusively 
belongs. 

" Parliament Street, Oct. 23, 1796." 
To Mr. Hardy, 
36, Tavistock Street. 



" Thomas Hardy learns, by a note trom Henry Dundas, 
dated the 30th of October, 1796, that the Secretary of State 
for the Home Department is acquainted with the demand which 
he made, by two applications, to Henry Dundas, (supposing 
him to be Secretary of State for the Home Department,) for 
the restoration of the property seized from him in his house, 
No. 9, Piccadilly, on the 12th of May, 1794, by a warrant, 
signed, Henry Dundas. Thomas Hardy has waited above a 
fortnight since the last application, and he now demands, from 
the Duke of Portland, as Secretary of State for the Home De- 
partment, that the property seized, under the above mentioned 
warrant, be immediately restored. 

"36, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, 
** November 8, 1796." 

To His Grace the Duke of Portland, Secretary 
of State for the Home Department, 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. TS 

TO THE KING IN COUNCIL. 

*' Sire, 

" Your Ministers have bereaved me of my wife and my 
child ; — they have attempted to take away my life, and, fail- 
ing in their plots, they have done every thing in their power to 
destroy my good name in society. — After such accumulated 
wrongs, my present complaint may be thought unworthy of 
notice. There was, indeed, a time when I could have ad- 
dressed you as a father — a husband — a man — I could have 
called on you, on the pledge of these relations, to pity my suf- 
ferings; — that time is past: — I ask now only for justice; — I 
petition the King for justice ; for I am too poor to obtain it in 
his courts of law. — Your Ministers have robbed me of my pro- 
perty — it is now in their hands. It is not enough that I lan- 
guished in a goal — that my small means were expended in my 
cause — that I was sent pennyless into the world. — Their ma- 
lice was not contented — they withheld from me that which may 
appear trifling in your eyes, but is not so to a poor man. I 
have no other resource left, than to desire you. Sire, to com- 
mand your Ministers to restore to me every thing which, by 
the warrant of the Secretary of State, was, on the 12th of 
May, 1794, taken from my house in Piccadilly. 

" THOMAS HARDY. 
** 36, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, 
December' 5, 1796. 

" The King will perceive, by the subjoined correspondence 
between Thomas Hardy, Henry Dundas, and the Duke of 
Portland, that Thomas Hardy refrained from troubling the 
King till the necessity of the case could amply plead in his 
justification." 

Having received no answer to this last application, he 
made several unsuccessful attempts to bring the busi- 
ness before Parliament. His want of success, in these 



74 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

attempts, was owing to the circumstance of Mr. Fox, and 
the other distinguished Members of the Opposition, having 
withdrawn from the House of Commons, which, accord- 
ing to the principles of our Constitution, ought, in a 
peculiar manner, to represent the people — as finding it in 
vain to oppose their integrity and splendid talents to the 
strong tide of corruption. He, therefore, gave up all 
hopes of redress. Such was the result of the above cor- 
respondence, if correspondence that can be called, where 
the greater number of one party's letters are never 
answered by the other. 

As a last resort, he published the whole correspondence, 
on the 13th of November, 1797, in the London Courier 
newspaper, that the public might see that no man's pro- 
perty nor person were safe, even in his own house, from 
the rapacity and lawless violence of men armed with 
usurped power. He was plundered of property of con- 
siderable value, among other things, of his pocket book, 
as already mentioned, which, with other papers, con- 
tained two inland bills of exchange : one of them was on 
J. Callender, for £136. ; the other, for £60., was accepted 
by G. Sutton, Esq. M.P. and became due on the 25th of 
January, 1794. When it was presented for payment, he 
did not honour it ; but declared that '* he had not a six- 
pence to take it up with, and should not be in possession 
of money until June, when the Parliament would be pro- 
rogued ! !" About a week afterwards, the bill was again 
presented, and the same answer returned ; it was then 
that Hardy threatened to compel payment, to which 
Sutton's reply was, " You cannot arrest me ; I am a 
Member of Parliament ! !" Hardy then saw that there 
was no alternative but to wait until June, when the 
Honourable Gentleman should have received his half 
yearly salary, for voting on all questions as the Minister 
directed him ; but before June, (12th May,) he and the 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 75 

bills were both secured, by the warrant of the Secretary of 
the State ; and from that day to this he has not seen the 
bills^ nor any other part of the property he had been 
robbed of ; nor has G. Sutton had the honesty to pay his bill 
that was then due.* This is but a small sample of the 
robberies committed by Mr. Pitt's Administration. 

While speaking of robberies, sanctioned by legal 
sophistry, though not exactly in chronological order, this 
may not be an improper place to mention two instances 
in which Hardy was robbed without that sanction. A 
short time after his arrival in London, some thieves broke 
into his room, stole his clothes, and left him almost naked ; 
but being then a single man, he soon procured more by his 
industry, and forgot his loss. The next instance was a 
little more serious : the first Christmas after he was mar- 
ried, the same description of lawless people broke into 
his house, when he and Mrs. Hardy were visiting at a 
friend's house, took all their clothes, and almost stripped 
the shop of its contents of boots and shoes. He was 
thankful that they had left the bed and clothes behind. 
By persevering industry he overcame this loss also ; and 
after struggling some years against wind and tide, to use a 
seaman's phrase, he had the harbour of prosperity full in 
view, when he was attacked by more powerful Buccaneers ; 



* The reader will recollect that this was written in 1796. On Mr. Mar- 
garet's departure for Botany Bay, where he was sent, it cannot be too often 
repeated, for fourteen years, by the arbitrary and unjust sentence of the 
Court of Justiciary, he left the two bills with Hardy ; and, on his return, 
after seventeen years absence, he applied to Mr. Litchfield, Secretary to 
the Treasury, for the two bills, or payment for them. After a good deal of 
searching and enquiries, they could not be found ; and Mr. Margarot in- 
sisted on payment, or else he would lay his case before Parliament. Pro- 
bably Government considered it better to pay the money privately, than to 
bring so disagreeable and disgraceful a subject, then partially forgotten, 
again before the public. Be that as it may, Margarot got his money from 
Government. 



76 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

or, to drop the metaphor, when he was plundered by 
thieves of a worse description, under the authority of 
George the Third's Privy Council! 

When his property was completely destroj^ed, his person 
nearly sacrificed to their wicked designs, and he was 
again sent into the world almost as bare as he came into 
it, without a home, and without the dear partner of his 
joys and sorrows to welcome him, and to rejoice in his 
escape from a cruel, sanguinary, and unjust prosecution. 
This is repetition, but the wrongs which have called it 
forth were repeated ; and, surely, the magnitude of those 
wrongs may well plead an excuse for it. 

It is already manifest, that the stories so commonly be- 
lieved of the Eldorado that was pouring in upon him in 
Tavistock Street, were entirely without foundation. 
These rumours gave rise, however, to one thing which 
grieved him very much, because it was impossible for 
him to act according to his inclination in respect to it. 
He received many letters and petitions from poor dis- 
tressed people, to which it was out of his power, in all 
instances, to attend. To many of the most distressing he 
did attend, bul^ it was painful to his mind to be obliged to 
dismiss others with only his good wishes, which was like 
saying to them, in the language of Scripture, ** Be ye 
warmed, and be ye filled." 

But the public delusion did not confine itself to pecu- 
niary matters alone. Hardy was exalted, by public cre- 
dulity, to a level with the first practitioners of the law, 
and, strange as it may appear, many persons, and among 
them, some men of learning and ability, applied to him for 
the solution of some very knotty perplexities, and intri- 
cate points of law ; conceiving, no doubt, that as he had 
passed unhurt through such an ordeal, he must be a very 
clever fellow. Some of them did not know that he was 
only a shoemaker, and incapable of giving an opinion on 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 77 

any point of law. To all that applied to him about law, 
his uniform advice was, not to go to law upon any account, 
when it was possible to avoid it. 

Whatever difficulties he had to struggle with, during 
the latter part of his time in Tavistock Street, he did not, 
for some time, communicate to any of his friends, other- 
wise they would have readily relieved him. Indeed, had 
his particular friends given ear to the absurd stories that 
were in circulation, and, in consequence, neglected to 
support him with their custom, he would have found him- 
self, at the end of two years, worse off than ever ; but, 
fortunately for him, they were too much of matter of 
fact men to be so misled. He had many real friends, even 
among those who differed widely from him in political 
opinions. These candidly told him, that they did not 
employ him on account of his politics, but because they 
thought him a persecuted and injured man. He refused 
money, at the time of his recommencing business, out of 
delicacy, from gentlemen, who, no doubt, offered it 
generously and freely. Such refusals, he had afterwards 
reason to believe, were construed to his disadvantage. 
Towards these gentlemen, however, he felt, and confessed 
his gratitude, as much as if he had availed himself of their 
favours. 

A gentleman in Fish Street Hill, whose name we are 
not at liberty to mention, sent his son, two or three days 
after Hardy had settled in Tavistock Street, with ten 
guineas, saying that it might be useful to him in his then 
circumstances, and that he would call and have a pair of 
boots or shoes when he wanted them. The young man 
called several times, but would not tell his name nor resi- 
dence, and it was near a year afterwards that it was dis- 
covered. Before that sum was worked out, he sent 
another ten guineas, and another equal sum before that 
was worked out. Some time afterwards he sent twenty 



78 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

guineas, and so on, always taking care to send a sum of 
money before the last was worked out. Himself, and his 
sons, two fine young gentlemen, continued to employ him 
as long as he remained in business ; but to this day he will 
not allow his name to be mentioned, as it ought to be, a 
Friend. To another particular friend, in Lombard 
Street, he is much indebted, whom, as well as several 
others, we wish we were at liberty to name. 

One thing, however, though it did not exactly balance 
the benefits accruing from the patronage of his real friends, 
was much against him at this period. A number of per- 
sons who called themselves his friends, and professed grea;t 
zeal in the cause of Parliamentary Reform, employed, but 
have omitted to pay him to this day. Others borrowed 
money, and proved equally forgetful. The sums lost by this 
class oi pretended friends, amounted, in the first year, to 
upwards of three hundred pounds, and has since encreased 
to a much greater sum. He was blamed for giving credit 
to such persons ; but it is not easy to distinguish between 
the sincere and the designing : experience alone will teach 
this. Besides, he was himself naturally sincere and unsus- 
picious, which exposed him, more than men of a different 
character, to these sorts of depredations ; and if such qua- 
lities are at all censurable, it must be confessed that there 
is a good deal of censure due to him. 

Next to his pretended friends, may be ranged those 
who were covertly, and those who openly professed them- 
selves his enemies; for though the tide of public opinion 
ran strongly in his favour, it could not be expected that 
the tools of his persecutors would refrain altogether from 
abuse. Accordingly he was attacked, by the hireling- 
Ministerial press, in newspapers, and anonymous pam- 
phlets ; and although one would hardly think it possible, 
who did not know the constitution of that House in 
Mr. Pitt's days, there were Members of Parliament found 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 1*J 

possessed of so little decency and common sense, as, in 
in their places in the House of Commons, to apply the 
most unjustifiable epithets to him, and the other prisoners 
who had been honourably acquitted. The newspapers did 
not stick at any falsehood. The following extract is a 
fair, or rather foul, specimen of the methods which they 
pursued, to injure the character of a man, who, certainly, 
never did any thing to deserve such treatment at their 
hands. 

" TO THE EDITOR OF THE COURIER. 

'* Sir 

" On Wednesday, the 25th of October, the following Letter, 
and Statement, by * An Old Iiihahitant of Fleet Street,' 
appeared in the ' True Briton.^ Knowing the greater part 
of the statement to be absolutely false, and having good 
reason to suppose it a malicious attempt to injure me in the 
opinion of the public, I thought it a duty which I owed to my 
friends, as well as to myself, to expose its falsehood and its 
malice ; and accordingly desired the Editor of that Paper to 
insert the following Letter, which, however, he refused to do. 
I have, therefore, to request you, as a REAL friend to Truth, 
to assist me in rescuing my character from the attack of a 
milignant and cowardly Assassin, by giving a place in * The 
Courier,' to the following Letter, from, 

" Sir, 

" Your constant Reader, 

" THOMAS HARDY.*' 



"TO THE EDITOR OF THE TRUE BRITON. 

•* Sir. 

" Not being in the habit of reading your Paper, I did not 
see the following Letter, and pretended Statement, which 
appeared in it on Wednesday last, till two or three days after- 



80 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

terwards, when it was shewn to me by a friend. — I do not 
wish to obtrude myself unnecessarily on the notice of the 
public; but I feel it a duty which, as a member of Society, I 
owe to myself, to repel an ill-founded, and apparently mali- 
cious and cowardly attack upon my character, in as public a 
manner as it has been made. I claim, therefore, from you, as a 
matter of right, that you will re-insert in your Paper the 
Letter and the Statement, together with the answer and observa- 
tions which I have subjoined. I claim this as a right, which 
you cannot refuse me, consistently with your duty, as the 
Conductor of a Public Print, more especially of a Print, 
which, by its title, assumes to itself the peculiar character 
of * True.' 

'' RIOT IN FLEET STREET. 

" to the editor of the true briton. 

" Sir, 
** The Riot at Citizen Hardy's house, in lleet Street, 
having been the subject of much conversation, and but im- 
perfectly represented in the Public Prints, I send you the 
following Statement, which I, as an Eye-Witness to the 
whole proceeding, can assure you is authentic. 

*' I am, Sir, your constant Reader, 

** And very humble Servant, 
«* An Old Inhabitant of Fleet Street." 
October 20, M91. 

** On Friday evening, the 13th instant, when the first 
account arrived of the glorious and truly important victory, 
gained by the gallant Admiral Duncan over the Dutch Fleet, 
a number of people paraded the streets, calling for * Lights,' 
&c. A party of them being assembled at Drury Lane 
Theatre, for the same purpose, three or four ill-looking 
fellows began to harangue them on the impropriety of re- 
joicing at an event, which, they said, " would only tend to 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 81 

prolong the War ;" and one of those Seditious Emissaries 
struck a lad a violent blow on the head with a bludgeon, 
merely for saying * Duncan for ever ! — No Jacobins !' — 
The Mob then surrounded them ; and on examination they 
proved to be Citizens Ashley, Hardy, and others, Members 
of the London Corresponding Society. The people then ex- 
pressed their indignation at these spiteful Pseudo Reformers, 
in a violent manner, and saluted them with hisses and groans, 
which were but a prelude to a shower of stones, mud, &c. 
which obliged the Gentlemen to decamp towards Prince's 
Street, with great precipitation, amidst the execrations of the 
spectators. Being rather quick in their flight, they escaped ; 
and, like men of courage, when out of danger, they valiantly 
knocked down an aged and decrepid mendicant, and two or 
three boys, who were amusing themselves by letting off fire- 
works, and, like victorious heroes, they triumphantly marched 
off. 

" The account of this gallant action was immediately car- 
ried to the Mob, who vowed revenge; but on Saturday night 
the victorious Citizens rested in peace. On Monday night. 
Citizen Hardy's house was filled with a set of Ruffians, 
armed with cutlasses, sword-sticks, bludgeons, &c. calling 
themselves Constables ! Every house in Fleet Street was 
illuminated, except Ci^i2;e?t Hardy's; of course a number of 
people collected opposite his house, and called for * Lights V 
The Ruffians inside immediately sallied out, and indiscrimi- 
nately assaulted every person who had not the good fortune 
to escape. After the first shock, however, the Mob rallied, 
and growing formidable, by increase of numbers, they re- 
pelled the Corresponding Army, and broke most of Citizen 
Hardy's windows, amidst the cries of * Duncan for ever ! 
Hardy for ever ! No Jacobins ! No Lights, &c. &c. &c.' 

" Citizen Hardy, finding his reforming sham Constables 
of no service, sent for the Military, and the Mob dispersed. 
This is a true statement of the affair : and it is hoped the 
Magistrates will prevent the Corresponding Constables from 



82 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

breeding another riot, as they were the sole cause of that 
above related." 

** It may be true, for ought I know to the contrary, that the 
Riot at my house has been imperfectly represented in the 
public Prints ; but I can take upon myself to say, that no 
other representation of it has been so replete with falsehood 
as that which is given in the above statement by * An Old 
Inhabitant of Fleet Street,' which he, as an eye-witness to the 
whole proceeding, says he can assure you is authentic. 

** Of my own positive knowledge, this statement is so far 
from being authentic, and such as an eye-witness who had 
any regard to truth would have given, that the greatest part 
of what relates to me is absolutely false ; and, judging as a 
plain man of mere common sense, I believe that by far the 
greater part of the whole is a malicious fiction. 

" It may be true, that a party of those who paraded the 
streets on Friday evening, the 13th instant, calling for 

* Lights,* may have assembled at Drury Lane Theatre for 
that purpose ; and it may possibly be true, though I do not 
believe it, because it is not probable that three or four such 
persons as this eye-witness calls ill-looking fellows ^ and sedi- 
tious emissaries, may have begun to harangue the mob, on 
the impropriety of rejoicing at an event which, they said, 

* would only tend to prolong the war :' but 1 am sure it can- 
not be true, that * one of them struck a lad a violent blow on 
the head with a bludgeon,' merely for saying * Duncan for 
ever ! No Jacobins.' The men whom this ' Old Inhabitant' 
stigmatizes with the name of seditious emissaries, are not 
accustomed to carry bludgeons, or to use the arguments of 
blows : they leave such practices, and such conduct, to the 
mob, of which, if I may judge from the spirit of his statement, 
this eye-witness, probably, makes now and then a distin- 
guished member. For the same reasons, I am sure it can- 
not be true, that these three or four ill-looking fellows after- 
wards * knocked down an aged and decrepid mendicant, and 
two or three boys who were amusing themselves by letting 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 83 

off fireworks.' — The whole of this story carries in itself its 
own refutation. The ill-looking fellows are described to be 
only three or four : had their number been so small, it 
needed not to have been put in the alternative ; an eye-wit- 
ness to the whole proceedings might have stated precisely 
the exact number ; but taking them to be foury it is not 
likely that one of so small a number, even of such valiant 
heroes, would have ventured to strike a lad a blow on the 
head with a bludgeon, in the presence of a moh, who are 
described to have been so numerous as to surround them ; nor 
is it likely that when thus surrounded^ and discovered to be 
Citizens Ashley, Hardy, &c. they would have been per- 
mitted to escape without some personal marks of mobish 
vengeance for the violent blow in the head with a bludgeon. 
The * Old Inhabitant of Fleet Street,' indeed, states, that the 
hisses and groans with which they were at first saluted, were 
but a prelude to a shower of stones, mud, &c. which obliged 
the gentlemen to decamp with great precipitation ; but how 
does he reconcile this to what he had just before related, that 
the mob surrounded them, and that, on examination, they were 
discovered to be Citizens Ashley, Hardy, &c. ? If they 
were surrounded, and examined, there was hardly occasion 
for a shower of stones, mud, &c. which rather implies that the 
iU-looking fellows were at a distance from the mob : had they 
been surrounded, and examined, it is more probable they would 
have been bludgeoned than stoned: but, supposing them to 
have been surrounded, it must have required something more 
than mere quickness of flight to enable them to escape ; they 
must have used something more valiant than swiftness of 
foot to break the ring with which they were surrounded : but the 
eye-witness says nothing of that kind. Suppose, however, 
they escaped, and knocked down the mendicant and the 
boys, how was the account of this gallant action immediately 
conveyed to the mob ? Did the eye-witness, endowed with 
quickness of pursuit, equal to the ill-looking fellows quickness 
of flight, convey the hasty intelligence ? But the ' intelli- 
gence' was immediately conveyed to the mob, and the mob 

g2 



84 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

vowed revenge/ Had this been the case, it is probable that 
the victorious Citizens, instead of resting in peace on 
Saturday night, and enjoying their triumph till Monday, 
would, on Friday night, have suffered the threatened revenge. 
— So much for the prohahiliiy of this * authentic' account. 

" The fact, so far as I am myself concerned, is this : — I do 
not know that there were either illuminations, or mob, on the 
evening of Friday the 13th, but by information which I have 
received since ; and I was not, the whole of that evening, 
beyond the threshold of my own door ; and, notwithstanding 
the confident assertion of the * eye-witness to the whole pro- 
ceeding,' who would have you suppose he is so well ac- 
quainted with my person, I was not one of the three or four 
ill-looking fellows surrounded, and examined by the mob at 
Drury Lane Theatre : and I am sure that the * Old Inha- 
bitant of Fleet Street,' if his countenance bears any relation- 
ship either to the wickedness of his heart, or to the weakness of 
his head, would, on examination, be found the worse-looking 
fellow of the two. 

"Of the next paragraph, which pretends to state the 
transaction of Monday night, every syllable which relates to 
rne is false, excepting the few words of it which state that 
most of my windows were broken. During the whole of 
Monday, the 15th instant, there certainly was not one ruffian 
in my house, unless the * Old Inhabitant of Fleet Street' may 
have been there. I do not know, but from subsequent in- 
formation, that every house in Fleet Street, but my own, was 
illuminated; but I know, that that exception gave no right to 
a lawless mob to break my windows to pieces. The fact is, 
that a mob, whether composed of such persons as the * Old 
Inhabitant of Fleet Street,' or instigated by such persons, 
did on that evening begin to collect about my door, and to 
express a disposition to riot : about eight o'clock, therefore, an 
hour before my usual time, I had my shop shut up, to pre- 
vent the windows of it being broken through. There was not 
at any time, nor till a considerable time after, any person in 
my house but myself and my ordinary inmates. I had 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 85 

formed no positive determination as to illuminating or not, 
till a little before nine o'clock, when hearing a violent knock- 
ing at the street door, I went down stairs and opened it ; 
a considerable number of people were there ; I asked what 
they wanted ; a baker's man asked me if I did not intend to 
illuminate ; I told him he had no right to ask me that ques- 
tion, and desired him to go about his business : a voice from 
the crowd cried out, * That's right. Hardy ; don't illu- 
minate ;' on which I shut the door. It might have been 
prudent for me, in the^rs^ instance, to illuminate ; but I did 
not like the idea of compulsion : I do not relish the govern- 
ment of a mob, though I cannot say I rejoice much in the 
success of a war which its abettors pretend to have been 
undertaken for the purpose of suppressing anarchy and con- 
fusion. — From the mixed cries of * Duncan for ever,' and 
* Hardy for ever,' I supposed the crowd was composed of 
different sets of people ; and I have since been told, and I 
believe it to be true, that a number of my friends, apprehen- 
sive that my person and property were in danger, assembled 
from different quarters, with a determination, at the risk of 
their lives, to defend both ; and I have understood that they 
did so most manfully ; but there was no person in my house, 
ruffian, or otherwise, armed with cutlass, sword-stick, or 
bludgeon, or that assumed the character of constable. It is 
true that after the affair was over, some of my friends were 
received into the house, and partook of such sober refresh- 
ment as it afforded ; and this circumstance, perhaps, the 
eye-witness, if indeed he had any fact in contemplation, has 
converted into an assertion, that on Monday night my house 
was filled with a set of ruffians, armed with cutlasses, sword- 
sticks, bludgeons, &c. calling themselves constables ! To my 
friends, on that occasion, I am assuredly much indebted. A 
few such trusty friends, on a similar occasion, on the 11th of 
June, 1704, might probably have prevented the fatal effect 
which afterwards ensued : the candles which were then 
placed in my windows proved no protection to the 
HELPLESS and the innocent ! and I have had too much 

g3 



80 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

experience of the wicked and persecuting spirit of such men 
as the * Old Inhabitant of Fleet Street/ not to be satisfied 
that a few candles placed in my windows, would have proved 
at least as feeble a protection on the late occasion as they 
did on the former, 

" * Citizen Hardy/ says the * Old Inhabitant of Fleet 
Street/ * finding his sham constables of no service, sent for 
the military, and the mob dispersed.'— It is true, that when 
the conduct of the misguided populace gave me every reason 
to suppose that nothing short of making one grand illumina- 
tian of my house was their diabolical object, I did, less from 
personal consideration than to render easy the minds of my 
neighbours, send for a party of the London Militia, who did 
not, however, arrive till after the contest was decided in 
favour of my friends. Notwithstanding this, I think it an 
act of justice due to the Gentleman to whom the application 
was made, to state his conduct on that occasion: — Sir 
Watkin Lewes, to whom my friend carried my message, 
had a Military Officer with him. When my friend explained 
his business, this Officer said, * I suppose Mr. Hardy has 
put no lights in his windows ; go home and tell him to put 
lights in his windows, and the mob will disperse.' Sir 
Watkin Lewes prevented my friend's reply by saying, 
* Sir, we have nothing to do with a man's political principles ; 
our duty is to protect ever)/ Citizen of London who requires 
our protection ; tell Mr. Hardy that I shall send the Guard 
immediately.* 

" The ' Old Inhabitant' concludes with a hope, that * the 
Magistrates will prevent the Corresponding Constables from 
breeding another riot, as they were the sole cause of the 
above related.' I am not disposed to quibble on the structure 
of a sentence, or I might accuse the * Old Inhabitant' of 
asserting that the Magistrates were the sole cause of the 
riot. I impute no fault to the Magistrates ; had they sus- 
pected an intention to produce one, they probably would 
have prevented it ; and I hope, that if, unfortunately, any 
peaceable inhabitant of this City shall hereafter be so 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. »7 

shamefully attacked as I have been, the Magistrates will shew 
that the Police of the City does not permit such outrages 
to pass with impunity. There is no doubt but the * Old In- 
habitant means to assert, that those whom he calls the Cor- 
responding Constables were the cause of the riot. The asser- 
tion is absolutely false, and maliciously false : the riot was 
most unquestionably bred by such men as the * Old Inha- 
bitant/ who seem to know no better mode of supporting 
order and regular Government tUan by encouraging the dis- 
orders of an unruly mob !" 

"THOMAS HARDY, 
October 30, 1797. " No. 161, Fleet Street." 

But his traducers did not confine their abuse to pam- 
phlets and papers ; they gave vent to it on all possible 
occasions. A single instance of this kind^ as it is rather a 
laughable one, may be mentioned. In the Summer of 
1795, when his business became so slack as to admit of his 
absence for a short time, he took a journey to Leicester, 
at the invitation of several friends then personally un- 
known to him, but from whom he had received con- 
siderable orders before. At Northampton, one gentle- 
man, who had travelled in the coach from London, left, 
and another took his place. This latter gentleman hap- 
pened to take up one of Hardy's shop cards, which a lady 
had laid down on the parlour table where the passengers 
breakfasted. As soon as he perceived what it was, he 
threw it down again with the greatest indignation, ac- 
companying the action with some indecent and oppro- 
brious expressions not fit to be repeated ; and added, that 
the jury which had acquitted him consisted of a set of 
villains, &c. One of the ladies present, observed, that he 
subjected himself to severe punishment, by animadverting, 
in such unbecoming terms, on the decision of an English 
jury. This reproof silenced him, and he spoke very little 

g4 



88 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

more during the journey. When he did speak a few 
words, it was in such a cross and ill-natured manner that 
he became a subject of amusement to the passengers. The 
rest of the company were very cheerful, and the silent 
gentleman's remarks, and the ready and well-merited 
reproof which these remarks had received, introduced the 
trials as the subject of conversation, in which Hardy, who 
was personally unknown to any of the company, joined. 

When the passengers were parting at the Bell Inn, 
Leicester, he stepped up to the crabbed gentleman, took 
him by the hand, and said to him, " Friend, be so good as 
to tell your acquaintance, that you have had the mortifica- 
tion to travel in the same coach with that Hardy whom 
you have been so illiberally abusing. I am that Hardy — 
farewell !" He stood with astonishment, and went away 
without saying a word, to all appearance, really mortified ; 
to the great amusement of the other passengers. 

Mr. Phillips, now Sir Richard, the bookseller, then 
resident in Leicester, was the first who called upon, and 
introduced him to many other kind friends. The next 
day he set out for Nottingham, with his good friend, 
Thomas Simpson, to whom he was introduced by Mr, 
Phillips. x\t Nottingham he remained a week, and was 
kindly and hospitably treated by some of the principal 
people of the town, from whom he received considerable 
orders. 

From Nottingham he crossed the country to Derby, 
where he stayed two or three days with some friends, and 
then returned to London, highly pleased with his journey. 

The next Summer he took a journey to Suffolk, and 
stayed a few days at Bury St. Edmunds, where he was 
kindly received by Mr. Buck, Mr. Vardy, and several 
other friends. From Bury he went to Norwich, where he 
met with some friends whom he knew, and by whom he 
was introduced to many others, some of them the principal 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 89 

people of the town, who treated him with particular kind- 
ness and attention. He next went to Yarmouth, and 
returned to London by Woodbridge, and Ipswich, at each 
of which places he met with such civilities and kindness 
as he never can forget. 

Finding' that he could not, with any hopes of advan- 
tage, continue in such an unfrequented situation as that 
in which he had recommenced business, he removed into 
Fleet Street, in September, 1797. There he became a 
Freeman of the Cordwainers Company, and Liveryman of 
the Needlemakers Company, and carried on his business 
with some success until 1815, when he retired ; in what 
circumstances will appear sufficiently plain from the fol- 
lowing correspondence. 

" Dear Sir, 

** 1 shall never forget the kindly manner in which you 
expressed your wish to serve me, when I had the pleasure of 
meeting you in the Committee Room, during the last election ; 
and it was to me quite unexpected. I am sensible that you 
will excuse me for troubling you with the following facts, 
which concern myself, and which I shall state as briefly 
as possible. A few years before I left Fleet Street, I 
found my business gradually declining, owing to several 
causes. The general failure of trade, and bankruptcy of 
tradesmen about that time, the great cause of which, many 
worthy men, and their families knew, and felt to their sor- 
rowful experience. Of the consequences of that general 
calamity I had ray share, for almost every month I suffered a 
loss, less or more, by bankrupts, or by some compounding 
with their creditors, and by others exiling themselves. I 
had also outlived so many of my friends, who were in the 
habit of employing me, but who had passed that bourne 
from whence no traveller returns ; and, hkewise, my getting 
old, and old fashioned, so that I could not keep up with the 



90 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

rapid changes of fashion which the young require, and are 
fond of, and which it is quite necessary for tradesmen to 
attend to, however trifling they may be. In the last year or 
two, my difficulties rapidly increased, and I also found my 
health much impaired, from anxiety, losses, and crosses, which 
at last decided me to wind up my business, and dispose of it 
in the best way I could, while I had some little property 
remaining. I made no one acquainted with my circum- 
stances, and I believe no one suspected that I was going 
behind ; for with those with whom I had any dealings, my 
payments were regular, although, towards the close, I had 
great difficulty to keep my credit good. It was always a 
happy thing for me (that my wants were few, and they are 
still diminishing, and my family small, only my dear Sister 
and myself. After collecting all debts due to me that I 
could possibly get, which amounted to but a small sum, com- 
pared to the debts now totally lost, some from real inability 
to pay, and others from causes not so excusable : when I 
had disposed of all belonging to the business, with the lease 
of the house, and settled all claims on me, / retired^ at 
Midsummer, 1815, with a clear £700. The next conside- 
ration was, how this sum was to be disposed of to the best 
advantage for our future subsistence. It was too small a 
sum with which to purchase an annuity for myself and 
Sister. I therefore calculated, that from the then state of 
my health, that my life was apparently fast drawing to a 
close, and that by confining my expenses, so as not to exceed 
£100. a year, as having no other income, it would be more, 
perhaps, than sufficient, without being troublesome to my 
friends, for I was very unwilling to let my situation or 
circumstances be known. But when I was relieved from the 
cares, perplexities, and precariousness of a losing concern, 
my mind became easy and contented, and I soon recovered 
my health. And now, upwards of seven years and a half 
afterwards, there is but a little of the £700. remaining ; but, 
perhaps, it may be enough, for if I see the third of next 



i 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 91 

moDth, March, I shall then enter on my 72d year. And 
when I take a review of past occurrences, I find that I have 
abundant cause to be grateful. 

** Be so good, dear Sir, to accept of my sincere wish, that 
you may long live in health and happiness, to enjoy the bene- 
ficial effects, which I hope are beginning to appear, of your 
long and honest efforts, with others, to benefit your country. 

« THOMAS HARDY, 

** 30, Queen's RoWy Pimlico.^^ 
4th February, 1823. 
To Sir Francis Burdeit, Bart, 

** Dear Hardy, 

" I SHALL have great pleasure in rendering you assistance, 
having great regard for you, as an honest, sensible, ill- 
treated man. I wish you to be more explicit as to your 
desires, and, in the mean time, beg of you to accept the 
enclosed* 

*' With great regard, 

St. Jameses Place, ** F. BURDETT." 

February Qth, 1823. 

" St. James's Place, May 9th, 1823. 
" Dear Hardy, 

" I TOLD you long ago to set your mind at rest, and have 
written a line to Mr. Friend, in answer to one he sent me 
concerning you. I propose to him to get an annuity for you 
of £100. a year, which I take to be about as much as would 
make you and your Sister comfortable ; I will advance one 
half, and five other persons who know and respect your 
understanding and integrity, will advance £10. a piece. The 
money will be placed in Mr. Friend's hands, and you will 
be pleased to draw it out just as you have occasion for it. 
" I am laid up with the gout, which makes writing painful, 

* £10. 



92 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

but would not lose a moment in setting your mind at ease, 
I hope your Sister is well. 

" Yours, very sincerely, 

'* F. BURDETT.' 

'' Dear Sir, 

" I do assure you it is with grateful satisfaction 1 have to 
acknowledge your liberality to me, as mentioned in your 
letter on Friday last. From the moment you told me to 
make my mind easy respecting my future subsistence, and 
knowing so well your disposition to do good, I was sure that 
you would fulfil your benevolent intentions, therefore I hope 
you will excuse me when I state that my writing to Mr. 
Friend, afterwards, did not arise from any doubt on that 
head, but because I thought that the burden of my support 
ought not to rest on one friend only, however able and 
willing that friend may be. A few minutes after I received 
yours on Friday, I had a note, by the twopenny post, from 
Mr. Friend, desiring me to call on him. I have not yet seen 
him, for I have not been out for this week past ; but as the 
weather is getting more favourable for invalids, I hope to be 
able to call on him in a few days. Will you be so good as to 
offer to those five Gentlemen whom you mentioned, my 
sincere thanks for their kindness to me. I hope you are 
now fast recovering, and have dislodged that troublesome and 
cruel enemy the gout. Be so good, dear Sir, as to accept 
my sincere good wishes for a speedy restoration of your 
health. 

14th May, 1823. " THOMAS HARDY." 

To Sir Francis Burdett, Bart, 

'* Dear Sir, 
" I CANNOT help troubling you with a few lines at this time, 
which I hope you will excuse. God knows whether I may 
have another opportunity to offer my grateful acknowledge- 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 93 

ment for your annual kindness to mc, for these five years now 
closed. I have now, on the 3rd of last March, entered on 
the 77th year of ray journey of life, for which I have great 
reason to be grateful to a gracious God, who has preserved 
and protected me during so long a period, and blessed me 
with so many kind friends, and in some perilous circum- 
stances too. Even this 29th of May, 1794, is memorable as 
the anniversary of my being sent to the Tower ; some of my 
valued friends who are no more, having been sent before me to 
that Fortress, all on a charge of High Treason, by a Privy 
Council of erring men; so that I am now thirty- four years 
older than they intended that I should be. 

•* 1 beg now to state, for your information, the amount of 
the different sums which I have drawn for yearly, from my 
kind friend Mr, Friend, who was good enough to take the 
troublesome office of Treasurer, but has now transferred it to 
my friend, Mr. Place, for what reason I do not know. I 
fear that it may be I had drawn too much from the account, 
or for some other impropriety on my part ; if it be so, I am 
very sorry for it. My frequent applications to him were 
always readily answered, without a hint of that sort. 

" Received from Mr. Friend, at several times, from the 1st of May, 1823, 

to May, 1824 £100 

"Ditto, Ditto, IstofMay, 1824, to May, 1825 100 

" Ditto, Ditto, May, 1825, to May, 1826 130 

"Ditto, Ditto, May, 1826, to May, 1827 120 
" Ditto, from Mr. Place, altered to the 1st of June, 

1827, to June, 1828 . . 109 12 

** I have now. Dear Sir, to beg that you will be so good to 
accept my sincere best wishes that you may long enjoy excellent 
health, and that you may be able to advocate, with success, 
the great cause of Civil Liberty, and the happiness of your 
country and your fellow men, as you have hitherto done. 

29tk May, 1828. " THOMAS HARDY." 

To Sir Francis Burdett, Bart. 



94 memoir of thomas hardy. 

** Dear Sir, 

** I HOPE you are quite well. I congratulate you on the 
pleasing prospect before us, which I hope we shall before 
long fully enjoy, that great national blessing—a Parliamentary 
Reform^ which your great talents, years ago, were often 
exerted to obtain. Although not then successful, yet your 
efforts were not lost, for you then sowed abundance of good 
seed, which has been springing up ever since, and which I 
hope will now produce a plentiful harvest for the benefit of 
your fellow countrymen. I am much pleased with the pre- 
sent Government ; I believe they are sincere, and will be 
active in their exertions to promote that great object to its 
completion. I am pleased to see so many converts to the 
important cause of Parliamentary Reform ; some from con- 
viction of its justice, and others from necessity. I hope the 
Ministers will be well supported by all the old and true 
Reformers. Perhaps, you may smile when I tell you, that I 
am now, for the first time, in my humble measure, a sup- 
porter of Ministers. I greatly rejoice to see the great cause 
of Civil Liberty prospering, not only in this country, but all 
over Europe, and that I have lived so many years to witness 
it, having entered on the 80th year of my journey of life, 
the 3rd of this month of March. I hope you will excuse me 
for troubling you with this, and accept my best wishes that 
you may enjoy long life in health and happiness. 

" THOMAS HARDY, 

" 30, Queen^s Row, Pimlico,'* 
1th March, 1831. 

Sir Francis Burdett, Bart. M.P. 

To this correspondence with the most upright, most 
intrepid, and most persevering Statesman of our own 
country, may appositely succeed the following Letter from 
Hardy to Lafayette, with that great and eminently vir- 
tuous man's answer. 



memoir of thomas hardy. 95 

" Dear and Respected Sir, 
** Although I have not had the happiness to see you, yet 
you are no stranger to me, for I have followed you in all 
your pereginations with my good wishes, high approbation, 
and esteem, for your unwearied exertions to promote the 
happiness of your fellow men. Ever since the beginning of 
the American Revolution, I remember well your laudable 
efforts, together with that extraordinary man Washington, to 
gain that great object for which the brave Americans were 
contending—their emancipation from a foreign yoke, which 
they at last effected ; and now they are a great and pros- 
perous nation. I have great pleasure to remark, that you 
and I have been fellow labourers in the great cause of Civil 
Liberty, ever since that important period. We may now be 
permitted to rejoice together with the great body of the 
friends of liberty, that their honest efforts have not been 
lost. It was a maxim of the celebrated Reformer, Dr. John 
Jebb, that no effort is lost. Permit me now to congratulate 
you on the late glorious Revolution in France, in July last; 
it has no parallel in ancient or modern history. I also well 
remember the first Revolution in France, about forty years 
ago ; and I am very happy when I recollect that I was in- 
strumental in sending ihc^rst Congratulatory Address from 
this country, from T7ie London Corresponding Society ^ to the 
National Convention of France, with which they appeared to 
he so well pleased, that it was read in the Convention, ordered 
to be printed, sent to the eighty-four Departments, and to 
he read at the head of the Armies of France. When the 
Paris newspapers, having that Address, came to London, it 
astonished and highly pleased the people ; but not so the 
Government. When that useful and important Society, the 
fruit of whose labours the British nation are reaping at this 
day, unanimously voted that Address, they deputed four 
trusty friends to convey it in the safest and quickest way 
possible. Being the Secretary , and in fact the founder of the 
Society, I waited on Monsieur Chaveline, privately, to know 
whether he would convey it. He readily consented, and 



96 MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 

ordered the deputation to wait on him the next day, at 
11 o'clock : they, of course, punctually attended, and read 
the Address to him, with which he was much pleased, and 
promised to send it speedily. The Address was signed the 
27th of September, 1792, Maurice Margarot, Chairman, 
Thomas Hardy, Secretary. That period is worth referring to, 
were I in Paris, if any of the records of the Convention are 
now in existence. 

" I cannot help mentioning to you how much I am pleased 
with the Revolution which has taken place in this country, 
for revolution it is. The King, and his Ministers, are now 
turned Parliamentarg Re/formers ! They are guilty of the 
very same crime, if crime it be, with which Parliamentary 
Reformers, in the year 1794, were charged by the infamous 
Government of Pitt, Bundas, and Grenville, the greatest 
crime known in our laws — High Treason. Many were im- 
prisoned, some were banished, and three were tried for it ; 
but an English Jury had a very different opinion of the cri- 
minality of their conduct, and honourably acquitted them. I 
rejoice that it has pleased God to spare my life so long, 
being now in my 80th year, to witness this grand and bene- 
ficial change which has taken place in this country ; and also 
great changes all over Europe. I ardently wish the op- 
pressed people of every country may be relieved from their 
oppressors. 

** Political knowledge is making a great and rapid pro- 
gress ; it is now diffused among all classes. The press— the 
printing press is performing wonders. It was a maxim of 
the great Lord Bacon, that knoivledge is power. I fear that I 
have encroached upon your valuable time with my garrulity, 
if you will condescend to take time to read this long letter. I 
shall now conclude with my sincere best wishes, that you 
may enjoy long life, in health and happiness. 

nth April, 1831. " THOMAS HARDY, 

Lafayette, France. " 30, Queen's Row, Pimlico." 

'* My friend, Mr. Lewis, has been kind enough to say that 
he will convey this to you." 



MEMOIR OF THOMAS HARDY. 97 

" La Grmuje, July 3t/, 1831. 
" My Dear Sir, 
** Your much valued favour, April 11, has but this da}' been 
delivered to me. The wishes of the London Corresponding 
Society, for universal freedom, have been expressed in the 
beginning of the French Revolution ; and now wo can con- 
gratulate each other on the electric stroke of the French week 
of last July, and upon the happy spirit of Parliamentary 
Reform which is now prevailing in England. This mutual 
fellow-feeling must take place of the prejudices which aris- 
tocracy and despotism have so long kept up between nations. 
Be pleased to accept my acknowledgements for the senti- 
ments you were so kind to express in my behalf, as well as 
the assurance of my good wishes and sincere regard. 

" LAFAYETTE." 

Thomas Hardy, Esq. 

Up to the present day, his kind and benevolent friend — 
the friend of his country — the friend of mankind — with 
the other gentlemen alluded to in the above letters, have 
continued liberally to support him. He has ever strongly 
relied on Providence, and has not been deceived nor dis- 
appointed. He has now passed the middle of the 81st year 
of his age, and can look back on many of the actions 
of his life with approbation. Like all human creatures, 
he has, in many things, failed, and come short ; but 
he commits himself with confident hope to the mercy of 
his Creator and his Redeemer, and awaits the period of 
his release from this state of mortality with patience and 
resignation. 



H 



APPENDIX 



LETTER TO A FRIEND, 

WRITTEN IN 1799. 



" Dear Sir. 

*' You have frequently expressed a wish to know something 
of the history of the London Corresponding Society, but not 
being qualified to write a regular history of it, perhaps I 
cannot do better than narrate to you, occasionally by letter, 
what information comes within my own knowledge, respect- 
ing that important and interesting Society, which appeared to 
have alarmed the Government, and greatly to have agitated 
the nation. Much opposition to it was excited, and much 
calumny, abuse, and persecution the Members experienced, 
both as a body, and as individuals. I shall endeavour to give 
you a true, and as concise an account as possible, of the rise 
and progress of it, together with its motives and design. 

Being the founder of The London Corresponding Society, 
(which I now avow,) it may reasonably be expected that I 
should give an accurate account of its formation and pro- 
gress, up to a certain period, having been indefatigable in 
promoting the great object which the Society had in view, 
a Reform in the representation of the people in the Commons 
House of Parliament, which I was only the feeble instru- 
ment of reviving. The public and private correspondence 
which I had with different classes on that subject, both before 
it was instituted, and afterwards, was extensive, compara- 



APPENDIX. 09 

lively speaking. If endeavouring to form an association, 
thereby to effect a reformation in Parliament, and in full 
hope, through that medium, to obtain a redress of the many 
grievances which the people have thousands of times ineffectu- 
ally complained of — If an attempt of this sort was either 
treason, or sedition ; I certainly was very culpable ; probably 
our rulers thought so ; for they had many secret agents, or, 
in other words, spies and informers, employed to report to 
them what was going on, and the Society was very open in 
all its measures ; indeed, their object was publicity, the more 
public the better. Had the agents reported to their em- 
ployers, fairly and honestly, what the conduct of the Society 
was, they could not have been blamed ; but it seems that 
would not have answered their purpose, for it evidently 
appeared afterwards, that they fully designed to effect its 
ruin at its commencement, and to destroy thousands after- 
wards, of the best, yea, even the most loyal men in the 
nation; men who were sincere friends to peace, and the 
welfare of mankind ; not sinecurists, nor idle drones in 
society, but active and useful citizens. Part of my corres- 
pondence, both with Societies and individuals, was made 
public on the late State Trials, as they are termed, as much 
as suited the purpose of our prosecutors ; but a great part was 
withheld by the Ministers, or some other persons for them. 
I do not wish to charge the Ministers with more injustice 
than they deserve, for God knows they had enough of their 
own to answer for. That which was kept back, might have 
been of much use in my defence, had it been needful ; but as 
the trial terminated in a verdict of acquittal, there was 
quite enough, from their own showing, to prove that their 
charge against us was iniquitous. 

" Some letters and papers, which escaped the search of 
the legal plunderers, on the 12th of May, 1794, (the day on 
which I was apprehended by a warrant of the Secretary of 
State, on a charge of High Treason, signed Henry Dun- 
das,) I meant to give my friends and the public, that they 
might, if they pleased, re-judge me ; but the interest fot- such 

H 2 



100 APPENDIX. 

is now gone by. Much political information I frequently re- 
ceived from Gentlemen experienced in the cause of Reform, 
which was communicated to the Society, and received with 
great approbation, and which was of much use in regulating 
their conduct as a young Society. Inexperienced people are 
liable to be led into error, and injudicious conduct, by design- 
signing men. Attempts of that sort were sometimes frus- 
trated in good time. It has been often said by some, who were 
afterwards discovered not to be friendly to Reform, that De- 
mocrats, or Heformers, ought not to have any secrets ; insinu- 
ating as if the Society had something more in view than what 
they avowed. It was also often asked, and they appeared 
very anxious to know, who was the founder of the Society ; as 
if, by ascertaining that fact, they would discover an im- 
portant secret. The question was alwajs evaded, because of 
the obscurity and unimportance in Society of the founder, 
and that it might be better esteemed by the public, and more 
respectable, agreeably to the received idea of respectability, 
and that they might attend more particularly to the object 
which the thing formed had in view, than to who was the 
framer of it. But it was established on too virtuous a prin- 
ciple to be suffered long to retain its good name among that 
class, whose chief interest, on that subject, was to deceive and 
calumniate. The rotten Borough holders, who are enemies 
to Reform, were all up in arms against the Society : for if a 
full, fair, and free representation of the people in Parliament 
succeeded, their corrupt gain was gone, and the people's 
rights obtained. I flattered myself that if a Society were 
formed on the principles of the representative system, men of 
talents, who had time to devote for promoting the cause, 
would step forward, and we, who were the framers of it, who 
had neither time to spare from our daily employments, nor 
talents for conducting so important an undertaking, would 
draw into the back ground. I was also encouraged to hope, 
from the then favourable state of things, and from the vast 
number of friends to Reform, who had assisted for that pur- 
pose, in the years 1780-81-82, ten years before, in every 



APPENDIX. 101 

county in tbe nation, of men of the first rate abilities and 
consequence in the country, who, I supposed, were not all 
dead, and who had not altogether relinquished the idea of 
prosecuting the subject of a Parliamentary Reform, but 
waited only for a favourable opportunity to come for- 
ward again to testify their firm regard to the cause of 
human happiness. But it was soon found that an alarm 
was created among that class, by the uncommon appearance 
of the popular Societies, and their active exertions in 
diffusing political knowledge among their brethren. Many 
in the Society might have been found more fit for the 
station which I held in it, but none could be more sincerely 
desirous of success, nor more zealous and active in promoting 
the object which the Society had in view, viz. a thorough, or 
Radical Reformation in Parliament. That great object 
once gained, then there was a point fixed to which all our 
complaints of injuries and oppression might be directed for 
redress — An Honest Parliament. The subject of Re- 
form is nearly as old as corruption itself; for ever since rulers 
have exercised their usurped power over the people, there 
has been found some men who are more alive to the suffer- 
ings of their fellow men than the bulk of their brethren are, 
who have called out loudly for Reform : and it has often 
happened that some of the meanest of the people have been 
the instruments of effecting much good. Great events have 
often been the consequence of apparently insignificant be- 
ginnings ; for there have been instruments raised up, from 
among the meanest of mankind, to produce the greatest 
changes that have taken place in the world. Many examples 
might be given ; but it appears needless ; they are so well 
known, almost to every one who is only partially acquainted 
with history. How to eradicate gross abuses, and renovate 
the original compact between the governors and the people, 
have been the constant study, and unwearied labour of good 
men in all ages. Wishing to copy from our forefathers, we 
may expect the same wages, slander, and persecution. The 

H 3 



102 ' APPENDrX. 

oppressions of our fellow men are numerous, caused by 

. This would lead into a variety of subjects very 

unpleasant to contemplate, or to describe. The causes are 
obvious. The poor, and middling classes of the people, are, 
to their woeful experience, but too Vi^ell acquainted with 
them. In the months of November, and December, 1791, 
my leisure hours were employed in reading some political 
tracts, which 1 had formerly perused with much pleasure, 
during the American War : among which were a great 
variety published gratis, by the Society for Constitutional 
Information, at that time ; and some excellent pamphlets, 
written by Granville Sharp, Major Cartwright, Dr. Jebb, 
Dr, Pnce, Thomas Day, Rev, Mr, Stone, Capel Lofft, John 
Home Tooke, John Trenchard, Thomas Gordon, Lord Somers, 
Duke of Richmond, Sir William Jones, Davenent^ &c. &c. 

" From the small tracts and pamphlets, written by these 
really great men, much political information was diffused 
through the nation, at that period, by their benevolent ex- 
ertions ; the beneficial effects of which are felt to the present 
day. The sphere of life in which I was necessarily placed, 
allowed me no time to read long books ; therefore, those 
smaller ones were preferred, being within the compass of 
my ability to purchase, and time to peruse, and, I believe, 
they are the most useful to any class of readers. Dr. 
Price's celebrated Treatise on Civil Liberty, was the first 
that confirmed me in the opinion, that the American War 
was both impolitic and unjust. The above-mentioned worthies 
laboured hard to correct the prevailing abuses of the Govern- 
ment, in their time, and their zealous efforts have not been in 
vain ; for, by their sensible and spirited writings, level to 
common capacities, thousands of the people have been in- 
formed what are their rights, privileges, and duties, as men, 
and citizens; and how they have often been despoiled of 
their valuable rights, both by fraud and force. But do not 
despair, brave living patriots ; persevere, enlighten the people, 
and the country will be saved from the bad government of 



APPENDIX. 103 

rapacious men. Knowledge has made a rapid and a sure 
progress within these thirty years, therefore continue your 
efforts. Dr. Jebb's favourite maxim is, that no effort is 

LOST. 

" Resist whatever in a State is base, 
" If Heaven has given you talents, by your pen ; 

" Thus, without noise, you may prevent disgrace, 
" And save your country from injurious men." 

** After reading, and attentively considering the short state 
of the representation, which was published by the Society 
for Constitutional Information, at that time; although it was 
an imperfect statement, yet it was very evident that a Radical 
Reform in Parliament was quite necessary ; for it is as clear as 
a mathematical axiom that the people are unrepresented, or 
misrepresented. The result of all my consideration of the 
subject, was an attempt to form a Society of another class of 
the people, to effect that most desirable and necessary Re- 
form, which had baffled the united associations of men of the 
greatest talents, worth, and consequence in the nation. In 
order to promote that desirable end, I drew up the outlines 
of a plan, with rules and regulations ; plain and simple as they 
were, they served as a foundation on which to rear one of the 
most orderly, and important political societies that ever ap- 
peared in this country. The first meeting of this Society 
took place on the evening of the 25th of January, 1792, at the 
sign of the Bell, Exeter Street, Strand : eight persons signed 
the articles, in a book which I had previously prepared, and 
paid one penny each, agreeably to one of the articles : then 
I gave each a ticket, on which was written the name of the So- 
ciety, with the No. 1,2, 3, &c. and the Member's name written 
on the back. The next thing these eight persons considered, 
was to choose from among themselves some trusty servants, 
to conduct the business of that friendly and well meaning 
company. They appointed me Treasurer and Secretary. 
There they stumbled at the threshhold, in allowing two very 
important offices to hejilled by one person. The amount of 

h4 



104 APPENDIX. 

cash in the Treasurer's hand, the first Meeting, was, eighth 
pence. Although we were, at first, but few in number, and 
humble in situation and circumstances, yet we wished to 
consider how to remedy the many defects and abuses which 
had crept into the administration of Government: and in 
prosecuting our enquiries, we soon discovered, that gross 
ignorance, and prejudice, in the bulk of the nation, was the 
greatest obstacle to the obtaining redress. Therefore, our 
honest aim was to have a well regulated, and orderly Society 
formed, for the purpose of dispelling that ignorance, and 
prejudice, as far as possible, and to instill into their minds, 
by means of the printing press, in a legal and constitutional 
way, a sense of their rights as freemen, and of their duty 
to themselves, and their posterity, as good citizens, and 
hereditary guardians of the liberties transmitted to them by 
their forefathers. On the Monday following, which was the 
first of February, there were eight more added to the number, 
and increased the funds of the Society to two shillings. The 
third Meeting, nine more were added, which encreased the 
number to twenty-five, and the sum in the treasury to four 
shillings and one penny. A mighty sum ! They increased in 
knowledge, in numbers, and information, after that, every 
week : and on the 2d of April, 1792, the first Address and 
Resolutions of the Society were printed, in which their prin- 
ciples and design were clearly stated to the public, and pub- 
lished in the Newspapers; and from that time there was a 
rapid increase of new Members, and new Societies were starting 
up in various parts of the country, printing and publishing 
addresses and resolutions, declarative of their principles 
and designs. This little Society, consisting, at first, of not 
more than eight plain, homely, and obscure citizens, soon 
attained a magnitude beyond any thing of the kind ever at- 
tempted. Such is the prevalence of truth, and the force of 
her arguments, that before the end of the year, the London 
Corresponding Society had formed an intimate connection, 
and correspondence with every Society in Great Britain ; all 



APPENDIX. 105 

of whom were subsequent instituted, for the express pur- 
pose of obtaining, by all legal and constitutional means, a 
Radical Reform in the Commons* House of Parliament. 

" Accept, Dear Sir, the best wishes of 

" THOMAS HARDY." 

** A copy of the above Letter I read to the company pre- 
sent on the 5th of November, 1824, at the Crown and Anchor 
Tavern, Strand, being thirty years, that day, after the event 
which they were then met to commemorate. ** T. H." 



« TRIAL BY JURY— REFORM. 

" On Tuesday evening a body of respectable individuals 
met, as usual, at the Crown Tavern, on Clerkenwell Green, 
to celebrate the Acquittal of Thomas Hardy and others, 
and the Trial by Jury. The veteran Reformist was not pre- 
sent; but the following interesting Letter was read from the 
Chair :*— 

London f Nov. 5, 1816. 
** Dear Sir, 

" I HAVE, for the last twenty-one years, had the pleasure 
of annually meeting our friends, who are to assemble to-day 
at the Crown Tavern, to commemorate the important event 
which took place on the 5th of November, 1794 — an event 
important, indeed, to the fate of thousands, and in which it 
was my lot to be particularly concerned. As I am removed 
to a great distance from their house of meeting, I have to beg 
that they will excuse my personal attendance, assuring them 
that my kind wishes towards them, and my patriotic feelings 
towards my country, have undergone neither change nor di- 
minution during the lapse of years. Situated as I am, I hope 

* When this Letter was sent, I was afraid that I could not attend, but I 
did attend. T. H. 



106 APPENDIX. 

for their indulgence for mj^ absence, and I shall hear with 
pleasure of the hilarity and public spirit with which, I trust, 
their Meeting will be inspired. My ardent wish is, that, as 
the first measure of salvation for our country, they will not 
forget to keep alive THE GREAT CAUSE of Parliamen- 
tary Reform — the claiming of which, by a great part of 
the nation in the year 1793, afforded the then Administration 
a pretext for involving the country in all the calamities of war; 
the object of which war was, to oppose a barrier to the pro- 
gress of the intellect of mankind, but more immediately to 
divert the attention of the people of Britain from their domes- 
tic oppressions. Here I cannot omit bringing to your pleas- 
ing recollections, those much to be respected Members of 
Parliament who advocated the cause of the people, and 
stated, in forcible language, the necessity of a Reform in the 
Representation of the People in the House of Commons, and 
endeavoured, by every means in their power, to prevent the 
Government from interfering with the internal affairs of 
Republican France. The fatal consequences such inter- 
ference has brought upon our country, and upon all Europe, 
the people are, to their woeful experience, now severely feel- 
ing, and which was clearly foretold at that time by many of 
those friends to mankind ; but they were, like all good men, 
treated as fools and enemies to their country, by their coun- 
try's real enemies. 

** Perhaps it may be desirable, for the information of those 
who have come into existence since the commencement of 
The London Corresponding Society, to attempt to 
state concisely the rise, progress, and object of that Institu- 
tion. This Society (which has been so baselj'^ calumniated) 
began in the latter end of 1791, in consequence of a conver- 
sation I had with a friend respecting the unequal Representa- 
tion of the People in Parliament. That conversation sug- 
gested the propriety of instituting a Society, with the view of 
ascertaining the opinion of the people on that question, by 
corresponding with other Societies that might be formed, 
having the same object in vicM', as well as with public-spi- 



APPENDIX. 107 

rited individuals. The idea was mentioned to another friend 
or two, by whom it was readily approved, and this was 
further communicated to others. At last a Society was 
formed, and afterwards increased to a magnitude which 
alarmed the Boroughmongers, and all who had an interest in 
perpetuating the system of deception and injustice, that was 
beginning to extend its baneful influence. I intend not in 
this Letter to give a regular history of this Society, although 
I have sufficient materials; it may, however, be presented to 
the public on some future occasion. 

" The first Meeting of the London Corresponding Society 
was held on the 25th of January, 1792, consisting of eight 
persons ; and after arranging the form, and terms of admitting 
Members, it was agreed, in order to pay the expense of 
stationery, printing, and postage of letters, that each Member 
should continue to pay weekly one penny. This plan was first 
carried into practice by this Society, with great effect. How 
strange, and how very amusing it was for me, to see a plan 
exactly similar recommended to the adoption of the British 
and Foreign School Society, by a Royal Duke, five and 
twenty years afterwards, a plan which is also now in full 
practice by Missionary and Bible Societies. The same means 
that were used to promote the success of Parliamentary 
Reform, in 1794, were charged as a crime (among many other 
wicked charges,) against the London Corresponding Society. 

•* Although we were but a small number of well-meaning, 
sober, and industrious men, yet we presumed to take into our 
considerations the many defects and abuses which had 
crept into the state of the Representation. Considering that 
the gross ignorance, and prejudice of the British nation, were 
the greatest obstacles to the obtaining redress, our efforts 
were directed to the formation of a well regulated and orderly 
Society, for the sole purpose of printing and distributing 
small political tracts on the subject, which it was enabled to 
do to a great extent, from the penny subscription. The 
Society was unceasing in its attempts to dispel that ignorance 
and prejudice, which has been so fatal to this country and to 



108 APPENDIX. 

mankind, conveying to their minds a knowledge of their 
rights as freemen, and of their duty to themselves and their 
posterity, as good citizens, and hereditary guardians of the 
liberties transmitted to them by their forefathers. Happily, 
many of the young men, vt^ho were Members, have acknow- 
ledged, and do still acknowledge, their great obligations to 
that much defamed Society, for their well-regulated conduct 
in after life, and have given a practical refutation to the 
charges exhibited against them, in the continued respectabi- 
lity of their lives, in the morality of their conduct, during a 
lengthened period of years, and in the elevated and opulent 
situations to which some have since attained in society. 

" The form of admitting Members was very simple ; it was 
merely by proposing the three following questions ; and if 
they were answered in the affirmative, then their names and 
address were entered in a book, and a ticket given to them, 
on which was written their own name, and that of the 
Society, with the motto. Unite, Persevere, and he 
Free : — 

" Question First, — Are you convinced that the Parlia- 
mentary Representation of this country is inadequate and 
imperfect ? 

** Second, — Are you thoroughly persuaded that the welfare 
of these kingdoms require that every adult person, in pos- 
session of his reason, and not incapacitated by crimes, 
should have a vote for a Member of Parliament? 

" Third, — Will you endeavour, by all justifiable means, to 
promote such Reformation in Parliament V 

" The second week of meeting there were eight more 
Members added to the Society, and the week following nine, 
which made the number 25 ; and the sum in the treasury 
amounted to four shillings and one penny. — ^The following 
questions were then submitted for discussion : — 

" First, — Is there any necessity for a Reformation in 
the present state of the Representation in the British House 
of Commons ? 

*• Second,— Would there be any utility in a Parliamentary 



APPENDIX. 109 

Reform ? or, in other words, is there just ground to believe that 
a Reformation in Parliament will be of essential good to the 
nation ? 

** Third, — Have we, who are Tradesmen, Shopkeepers, and 
Mechanics, any right to seek to obtain a Parliamentary 
Reform?" 

** These questions were debated in the Society five nights suc- 
cessively, in every point of view in which we were capable of 
presenting the subject to our minds ; and, after mature deli- 
beration, they were all decided in the affirmative. 

" The first Address and Resolutions which the Society 
printed, and which were pubhshed very extensively, were 
dated the 2d of April, 1792. From that time the Society 
became known to the public. Societies were then formed in 
different parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, in quick 
succession, for the same laudable object. A constant corres- 
pondence was afterwards kept up with each of these Societies. 
The London Corresponding Society was considered the 
Parent Society. This was the reason why Burke, in one of 
his mad rants in the House of Commons, designated it as 
* The Mother of all Mischief.' 

" At this period the numbers increased rapidly ; and poli- 
tical knowledge was diffiised generally throughout the nation, 
by the means of small Tracts, which were well adapted for 
giving information to persons of every capacity, and also by 
political discussions and conversations in the various Meet- 
ings. The number of Members in the diff*erent Societies in- 
creased, in about two years, to an amount far exceeding all 
the Electors by whose suffrages the House of Commons is at 
present chosen. 

** The popular Societies becoming so numerous, and peti- 
tioning for a Reform also becoming so general, began now to 
attract the notice of Government, and created an apparent 
alarm, which was fed and increased by the lying and inte- 
rested misrepresentations of the agents of the Ministry. But 
the days of delusion are, I hope, passing away. The people 



110 APPENDIX. 

were only claiming a restoration of those rights of which they 
had been at different periods unjustlj' and wickedly deprived 
by the strong hand of despotic power, — the regaining of 
which, by the people, would be no injury to good Govern- 
ment: — on the contrary, would prove its rightful and faithful 
support. But the Government appears to have thought other- 
wise ; for, after many efforts to suppress the rising spirit of 
the country for a Reform of Parliament, and the persecutions, 
prosecutions, imprisonments, and banishments of individuals 
for what they termed sedition, had proved ineffectual, the Mi- 
nistry at last had recourse to a still more iniquitous measure, 
that of charging us with High Treason. Thus the nation 
was deceived and stupified by alarms of plots and conspira- 
cies that never existed, but in the wicked hearts of their fabri- 
cators. The King's Ministers, by such measures, easily 
effected their purpose, and a stop was put, for twenty years, 
to the grand cause of Parliamentary Reform. Twelve men, 
among the many thousands in the nation who were equally 
engaged in the same benevolent and patriotic cause, were 
now singled out as Xhejirst victims. This brings me to the 
important day which you have annually, and are at this time 
met to commemorate, after the lapse of Twenty -two years. 

" The State Trials, as they are called, began, on the 25th 
of October, 1794, with the Trial of myself, (who was sup- 
posed to be the most helpless of this band,) which lasted nine 
days ; and, on another memorable 5th of November, I was 
honourably acquitted. The then Attorney General, Sir John 
Scott, now Lord Eldon, took nine hours to deliver his open- 
ing Speech on that Trial. The Trial of John Home Tooke 
was next in order, which lasted five days ; and, on the 21st 
of November, he was also honourably acquitted. The Trial 
of John Thelwall next succeeded, which lasted three days, 
and he was also honourably acquitted on the 5th of Decem- 
ber. The other prisoners, whose names were included in the 
same indictment, were, two days afterwards, brought to the 
Bar, and honourably discharged. Thus ended the momen- 



APPENDIX. Ill 

tous Trials of the ^ear 1794. I refer you for particulars to 
the Trials themselves, published by Mr. Ridgway ; and leave 
you to make your own remarks. 

** I cannot help mentioning here, with sentiments of gra- 
titude, the names of our excellent Advocates on that 
trying occasion — Messrs. Erskine and Gibbs, now Lord 
Erskine and Judge Gibbs. 

*' Perhaps some of you may have a desire to be informed, 
how many of those twelve men, who were destined, in the 
councils of erring mortals, to die on a certain day, still sur- 
vive. I shall only mention the names of those who have 
already paid the debt of nature. — The first of them who died 
was Thomas Holcroft; the next, John Augustus Bonney, 
Stewart Kyd, John Home Tooke, Thomas Wardle, and 
lately, Jeremiah Joyce. 

** If the recapitulation of the above circumstances shall 
have communicated any interesting information, or recalled 
to your minds any pleasing or useful recollections, it will 
add to the happiness of, 

" Dear Sir, 

" Yours, with great respect, 

" THOMAS HARDY, 

" Lately of Fleet Street,*' 



** My dear Friends and Fellow CitizenSf 

" I HAVE once more the pleasure of meeting you on this An- 
niversary, and I thank you sincerely for your very kind and 
good wishes to me. I hope you will have the goodness to 
excuse me for reading to you a few lines, which may be 
thought not improper on the present occasion. The 5th of 
November has been a memorable day, on various accounts, 
in the history of England; but the 5th of November, 1794, 
was particularly so to me, personally. It was so, also, to 
some others, who are now present, and was, in a high de- 



112 APPENDIX. 

gree, advantageous to the great cause of Freedom in this dis- 
tinguished nation. Thirty-five years ago, twelve honest men 
gave a verdict of honourable acquittal to Thomas Hardy, who 
was then charged with the greatest crime known in this coun- 
try — High Treason. After a prosecution unprecedented in the 
annals of this country, and a trial which lasted nine days, 
when the Attorney General, Scottf now Lord Eldon, made a 
speech, which took him nine hours to deliver, in opening the 
case to the Jury. This drew a very sensible remark from 
Lord Thurlow, at that time Chancellor, When he was in- 
formed by a messenger that the Attorney General's opening 
Speech occupied nine hours, he emphatically replied, * Then 
by God there is no Treason !' The whole weight of the arm 
of power was exerted to crush me, as a prelude to the destruc- 
tion of many more, which is evident from the following anec- 
dote, well worthy of notice. It plainly appears that the 
Government, on the trial of Hardy, made sure of a verdict of 
Guilty. They had previously prepared eight hundred warrants, 
three hundred of which were actually signed, and some of 
these warrants were to have been executed that very night, 
and the next morning, had a different verdict been given ; 
but who the persons thus marked out for destruction were, I 
did not learn : but those who informed me of that wicked 
design, I considered as good authority. A cloud of witnesses, 
and of written evidence, was brought forward against me, 
and a host of Crown Lawyers, such as had never before been 
marshalled in array against any person tried for High Trea- 
son, were employed to prove ray guilt. What guilt could 
there be in the people associating together in a peaceable, and 
orderly, and legal manner, such as the London Corresponding 
Society, and other Societies, in different parts of the country, 
who were fairly and publicly claiming a restoration of their 
just rights, a more full, fair, and equal representation of the 
people, in the Commons* House of Parliament ? There was 
no guilt. The guilt was on the other side, on that of despotic 
power, wantonly exercised by Pitt and his colleagues. 

Your annually meeting, to commemorate that event, pre- 



APPENDIX. lis 

vents it, in a great measure, from sinking into oblivion : and 
you will clearly observe from the anecdote T have stated, that 
you are not merely rejoicing yearly, for the saving of an in- 
dividual, but the saving of hundreds, perhaps thousands of 
the greatest and best men the nation could boast of, who were 
devoted to an ignominious death. It is, on that account, an 
event worthy to be held in perpetual remembrance amongst 
us, as illustrative of the value of Trial by Jury — the acquittal 
of Hardy, Tooke, and Thelwall, on the 5th of November. 
In effect they were all acquitted on that day, for the charge 
against each was the same, and the evidence but little varied. 
The whole ministerial and legal phalanx were quite astounded 
at the first verdict ; and they took eleven days to rally and 
recover themselves, that they might have time and strength to 
tutor, and sharpen their mischievous tools, before they would 
venture to attack a man of such distinguished talents, such a 
well known veteran in the cause of liberty, and one of the 
greatest men, perhaps, in the age which he lived, John Home 
Tooke, His trial began on the 16th of November, and he was 
honourably acquitted on the 2 1st. After this second shame- 
ful defeat, there was another cessation of arms for ten days, 
to give them time to rally their discomfited, scattered, and 
disheartened troops, before they began their third assault, on 
one whom they very well knew to be a most ardent, in- 
defatigable, and able advocate for the liberty and happiness 
of his fellow countrymen, and a true, and zealous promoter 
of a Reform in Parliament, our friend John Thelwall, whose 
trial began on the 2d of December, and who was honourably 
acquitted on the 5th. They were all defended by two of the 
most able champions the nation could produce, who van- 
quished the whole host of their adversaries in a triumphant 
manner ; I mean Erskine, and Gibbs. After again resting on 
their arms for a iew days, the other nine, who were included 
in the same indictment, were brought from their prisons, 
and our friend here, John Richter, had the honour to be 
one of them, when the Attorney General, in his great loving 
kindness, called them to the bar, and discharged them without 

I 



114 APPENDIX. 

trial, not choosing to risk another disgraceful defeat. Thus 
ended these memorable State Trials, crowning the guilty 
heads of the malignant prosecutors with everlasting dis- 
honour; after having licentiously vi^asted upwards of one 
hundred thousand pounds of the people's money, with the 
design to prevent that very people from demanding their just 
right to have an honest Parliament. When the Ministers had 
made every effort to support their false accusations of High 
Treason against those innocent men, and did not succeed, 
they wickedly, and impudently perverted the clearest truths, 
to explain away their assertions in support of the infamous 
doctrine of constructive treason ; but they were completely 
foiled in that also, by the prompt decision of three separate, 
discerning, and honest juries, who pronounced the accusa- 
tion a falsehood ; and, in a manly way, declared, that no 
treason did exist. Such was the happy result of these im- 
portant trials. When we look back a few years, from 1790, 
and forward ten or twelve years, we have but a gloomy 
picture to view of hundreds of our worthy fellow country- 
men, who were persecuted, prosecuted, imprisoned in distant 
prisons, far from their families and friends, and some banished 
to foreign climes, for merely declaring openly, and honestly, 
their political principles, and opinions of the mal-adminis- 
tration of the Government; and suggesting, and recommending 
a different, more advantageous, and just administration of 
public affairs, which every free-born Briton is justly en- 
titled to do. But for such patriotic conduct they were 
answered by the strong arm of despotic power, which visited 
them with total ruin, and heaped misery on their numerous 
and industrious families. The consequence of such cruelty, 
was a warm discussion of the great political question, whether 
this nation was really to be what it professed, and gloried in, 
a free country, or to be ruled by sheer despotism? The dis- 
cussion became more and more animated between the friends 
of liberty, and the supporters of arbitrary power; and that 
powerful engine, the printing press, was actively employed on 
both sides. 



APPENDIX. 115 

The friends of liberty had nothing to fear from their 
opponents, for they had truth and justice decidedly with 
them. The force of the reasoning, and arguments of their 
antagonists, bad little effect on the discerning public, until 
the Government had recourse to the argument of force ; and 
the never failing result of all such agitation and examination, 
was a general diffusion of political knowledge among the 
people, which has been rapidly increasing to the present 
day. This knowledge, and spirit of inquiry, were of great 
use ; but no thanks are due to the good intention of Ministers 
for having given rise to them. The Government was aware 
that knowledge was increasing, and that they, and their mea- 
sures, were loosing ground in the public estimation. They 
were convinced that their severe treatment of those they had 
charged with libel and sedition, had a contrary effect on 
public opinion to what they expected, and intended it should 
have. Therefore, a more severe treatment still was deter- 
mined on, which was no other than that sanguinary one which 
I have already noticed, trial for High Treason, It is worthy 
of remark that the Government did not succeed in taking the 
life of any one of the true friends of Parliamentary Reform. 
Watt hypocritically professed to be a Reformer ; but on his 
trial it was proved that he was a Spy in the pay of Henry 
Dundas. He was executed at Edinburgh. Thus they 
hanged their own Spy for performing his business in a 
bungling manner, as a warning to the rest of the worthless 
gang. I hope you will excuse me for troubling you so long 
Avith what many of you know so well. My design in re- 
calling these few facts to your remembrance, is chiefly for 
the benefit of our young friends present, some of whom were 
not at that period in existence. Least any of you should 
suppose that I have treated that Administration unfairly, 
although I have given you but a very short epitome of the 
cruel acts of the Pitt^ Dundas, and Grenville system of mis- 
rule, I shall now conclude by giving you the character of 
that Government, freely given by Charles James Fox, who, 
you will admit, is no mean authority, in his admirable closing 

I 2 



116 APPENDIX. 

speech to the Electors 6f Westminster, on the hustings, at the 
contested general election, in the 3'ear 1796, when John Home 
Tooke, and Admiral Gardner, were also candidates. 

" Gentlemen, I have spoken plainly, and openly to you ; and 
I will conclude with repeating that in my conscience, I believe, 
that the charges against the Government has been by none 
exaggerated. A more detestable one never existed in British 
History ; and not to detain you longer, I will sum its cha- 
racter in a few words. This Government has destroyed more 
human beings in its foreign war s^ than Louis the Fourteenth; 
and attempted the lives of more innocent men at home, than 
Henry the Eighth.^* 

*' This was read to the company present, on Thursday, the 
5th of November, 1829, at the Golden Lyon Tavern, being 
the 35th year after the event which they were commemo- 
rating. "THOMAS HARDY." 



'* Friends and fellow Citizens, 

** I THANK you very kindly for your continued good wishes 
to me for the thirty-six years which have elapsed since 
that event which you are this day met here to celebrate. 
There are but few of our friends here present who witnessed 
that interesting and important event. One generation, at 
least, has since passed away ; but we know that the beneficial 
consequences of that eventful period have been rapidly in- 
creasing, not only in Briton, but throughout Europe. It has 
led the people to think, to read, to reason, who had not be- 
fore given politics a thought. Political knowledge was then 
generally diffused among the people, and they were informed 
what their rights and privileges were, and how they had been, 
by their governors, despoiled of them by fraud, and sometimes 
by force. It was a maxim of the great Lord Bacon, that 
Knowledge is Power ; and we have a striking example of the 



APPENDIX. 117 

truth of that maxim now before us. Since I bad the happi- 
ness of meeting you in this room on the last Anniversary, 
there has been such an extraordinary revolution in France, 
that there is nothing either in antieut or modern history with 
which it can be compared. It will, no doubt, have a benefi- 
cial effect all over Europe. I wish, with your leave, to state 
to you a circumstance which took place near forty years ago, 
about the beginning of the former French Revolution. It is 
this ; the London Corresponding Society at that time unani- 
mously agreed to send a Congratulatory Address to the Na- 
tional Convention of France, regularly and officially signed 
by Maurice Margarot, President, and Thomas Hardy, Secre- 
tary. The Society deputed four Members, in whom they 
could confide, Margarot, Hardy, Martin, and Walne, to con- 
vey it to France in the quickest and safest way they could. I 
called at M. Chaveline's, in Portman Square, to know whether 
it would be agreeable to him to convey it. He very readily 
agreed to it, and ordered the Deputation to wait upon him 
the next day at eleven. They were punctual to the time ; the 
Address was read to him by Margarot, at which M. Chave- 
line was much pleased, and frankly said that he would send it 
very soon. 

You will be so good as to observe, that M. Chaveline was 
sent by the National Convention of France as Ambassador to 
the British Government. Lord Grenville, the Foreign Secre- 
tary, and he, were sparing a little at that time, till at last all 
propositions from him were treated with the most sovereign 
contempt, and he was imperiously ordered out of the country 
in three days. He was treated in the same manner that Lord 
North and his Junta had treated Governor Penn in the be- 
ginning of the American War, when he was sent over by the 
Americans with a Petition to the King. The King would not 
see him, but contemptuously ordered him home, without 
condescending to receive the petition. Mark the con- 
sequence; when Governor Penn returned, the Americans 
declared themselves independant of this country, which has 
proved, no doubt, of infinite benefit to America. Of the Ad- 

13 



118 APPENDIX. 

dress to the National Convention of France, which we con- 
fided to M. Chaveline, I believe Government spies did not 
know ; therefore, they could not report to their employers by 
what means that Address reached the National Convention, 
which was read to them, and received such high approbation. 
To show you that they were very highly pleased with it, they 
ordered it to be printed, and officially sent to all the eighty- 
four departments of France, and commanded it to be read at 
the head of all the armies. Its being the first Congratulatory 
Address which was sent from this country, and that too 
through a channel by which they could not doubt of its au- 
thenticity ; namely, their own Ambassador, made it be the 
more taken notice of. It was published in all the French 
Newspapers, and afterwards copied into all the British 
Newspapers. Please to take notice, that this Address was 
presented to the French Convention before this country 
joined with the despots on the Continent, with the design of 
subjugating France, and restoring the old Government. In 
a most wicked and cruel Manifesto, the Duke of Brunswick 
at that time threatened to march to Paris, sword in hand, 
and rase it to the ground, and to desolate the country where- 
ever his army should come. This roused the French, almost to a 
man, to oppose him. It also animated the friends of liberty in 
this country to address the National Convention, and promise 
assistance to their friends, the French, who were so laudably 
struggling for freedom. I shall now, with your leave, read 
the Address. I hope you will excuse me for being so long in 
introducing it. Our prosecutors considered it of great im- 
portance, for it was read three times on my trial ; first, by the 
Attorney General ; secondly, by the Solicitor General ; and, 
finally, by the Judge. They omitted to read the last para- 
graph, for v^hat reason I do not know. 

" When the highly favourable reception the London Cor- 
responding Society's Address met with was so publicly 
known, there followed many Addresses from this country 
soon after. The Society for Constitutional Information sent 
an Address, by their deputies, Mr. John Frost, and Mr. Joel 



APPENDIX. 119 

Barlow, which they presented to the Convention. The So- 
ciety at Manchester sent an Address to the Convention, 
which was presented by Mr. Watt and Mr. Cooper, as their 
deputies, also Birmingham, Sheffield, Derby, &c. &c. 

« THOMAS HARDY. 

" The above observations I read to the company present* 
(about 150,) at the Golden Lyon Tavern, Smithfield, on Fri- 
day, the 5th of November, 1830, being the Thirty-sixth 
Anniversary of the acquittal of 

" T. H. 

30, Queen's Row, Pimlico." 



" Dear Sir, 
" On the 8th of November, 1824, you was so good as to send 
me a folio volume of Reports from the secret Committees of 
the Houses of Lords and Commons^ in the months of May and 
June, 1794, which you requested me to read, make my 
remarks on its contents, and give in my report. It was the 
first time that I had seen these Reports, although they had 
been printed upwards of thirty years; and although I was at 
that time much interested in their consequences, yet I never 
had the curiosity to read, or inquire further about them, 
especially after the very decisive opinion which twelve ho- 
nest men publicly gave of them on the 6th of November of that 
year. On looking over the book, I saw that you had set me 
an arduous task, to examine such a mass of incoherent and 
heterogeneous materials, jumbled together with the apparent 
evil design to deceive and mislead the public mind, respect- 
ing the approaching trials ; but fortunately for that public, 
they were then better informed, and had a more just and ac- 
curate knowledge of what was their political rights, privileges, 
and duties, than the Secret Committees of the Lords, and 
Commons expected, or wished them to possess. Their Reports 

I 4 



120 APPENDIX. 

commence with false assertions, and continue throughont 
with dishonest and forced constructions, and perverting the 
clearest truths. When these men were writing the Reports, 
was it possible that they could believe what they so impu- 
dently asserted ? It is strange that men who are supposed to 
possess superior talents, education, and discernment, and who 
are also rulers and legislators, should suffer their evil passioiis 
to lead them, to say the least of it, into such gross errors. But 
what will corrupt and wicked men not do, in certain situa- 
tions, to retain their assumed power, and secure to them- 
selves the wages of iniquity ? They had abundance of pre- 
cedents for their base conduct, if precedent had been their 
plea ; for there are instances sufBcient, in the history of our 
country, of the most atrocious acts committed by imperious 
men, exercising usurped power, without going back for ex- 
amples to Greek or Roman history. I was surprised to find, 
a few pages from the beginning of the volume, a display of 
drawings, of sergeants halberts, and spontoons, new named 
battle axes, spears, and pikes, which clearly appears was to 
give greater effect to the exhibition that was afterwards to be 
made to the Jury, on Hardy's Trial, of those iron instruments 
of human destruction. I had never seen before, either the 
instruments themselves, or any delineation of them, nor had 
I any knowledge of such things being in existence, until 
Watt, at Edinburgh, was apprehended, tried, and executed, 
for ordering such weapons to be manufactured. It was soon 
proved that Watt was employed as a Government spy at 
Edinburgh, and that they hanged their own spy for doing his 
business in a bungling way, as a warning to the rest of the 
gang. I had no knowledge of the man, nor had I any com- 
munication with him whatever ; but after Watt's trial, these 
savage tools were brought up to London, and shown to Hardy's 
Jury on the trial with great pomp : and when they were one 
by one drawn out of the boxes, in which they were carefully 
arranged, an d with the Attorney General's remarks on 
each, as they were held up to view, I remember well, that it 
caused a momentary shivering and horror in the crowded 



APPENDIX. 121 

court and galleries, filled with ladies and gentlemen. It was 
done with the evident design to aggravate and heighten the 
effect, to blacken the character, and defame those men who 
were under trial, that they might, with more certainty, get a 
verdict against them. Tke London Corresponding Society y as 
a Society, never did give any countenance to the use of such 
instruments. Their instruments were of another and more 
rational kind ; truth, and reason, with the copious use of the 
presSy were the instruments with which the Society com- 
menced, and which it continued to exercise, with great suc- 
cess. The benefits which resulted, are felt at the present 
day. It was very soon discovered, that several unworthy 
Members, who had insinuated themselves into the Society 
as professed Reformers, were, in reality, employed as 
spies, or Government reporters, as they were sometimes 
named ; and it became notorious, that these very men 
were the proposers and ardent supporters of those violent 
and improper measures with which the Society was unfairly 
charged ; but they were always opposed and resisted by the 
honest Members for Reform, who often saved the Society 
from being hurried by them into illegal and unconstitutional 
acts. But a small sample of the atrocity of these men was 
exhibited in their examination on Hardy's trial ; such as Lyn- 
ham. Groves, Gosling, alias^ Douglas, Alexander, &c. and 
a miserable exhibition they made of it, under the searching 
and keen examination of the Honourable Thomas Erskine, 
who was well supported by Vickery Gibbs in that trial, and 
the trials of Tooke and Thelwall, which soon followed, all of 
whom were honourably acquitted. This brings to my recol- 
lection an anecdote well worthy of notice. It appears that 
the Government, on the trial of Hardy, made sure of a verdict 
of guilty; for they had prepared eight hundred warrants, 
three hundred of which were actually signed. Some of these 
warrants were to have been executed that very night, and the 
next morning, if a different verdict had been given ; but who 
the persons were that was thus marked out for destruction, 
I did not learn ; the gentleman who informed me of that 
wicked design, I considered as good authority, and I be- 



122 APPENDIX. 

lieved him. I beg to state a circumstance about the use or 
abuse of believing. Mr. Grant, a printer, who was a witness 
for the Crown, and a very useful witness he was, he being 
the only one the Crown could procure not to swear to my 
hand writing, but merely to believe it was : and it is re- 
markable, that the prosecutors could not prevail on one man, 
among all my intimate friends, who could have sworn posi- 
tively to my hand writing, although they took some pains to 
effect it. On his first examination, the Counsel for the Crown 
repeatedly asked Grant, when he put letters into his hand, 
whether that was Hardv's hand writing, or that, or that? 
and he as repeatedly answered, No, that he could not take 
his oath that they were. Then the Counsel again and again, 
after he saw that he could not get him to take his oath, told 
him that he did not want him to swear ; but he still pressed 
him to say that he believed them to be his hand writing. After 
some hesitation, he then said, he believed they were, but 
again repeated, he would not swear it; and, throughout the 
trial, when any of my letters or papers, with my signature, 
were offered to be given in evidence, and, in order to let it 
in, they were always handed to Grant, and he invariably 
said he believed they were, but he never swore to any of them. 
This simple belief of Grant was received by the Attorne}^ Ge- 
neral as evidence against a man tried for his life, on a charge 
of High Treason. Is that sort of testimony deemed legal, or 
is it customary ? It appears that Grant was seized with a 
qualm of conscience ; for I know he could not have safely 
sworn, having seldom had an opportunity of seeing me write, 
not being more than twice at my division of the Society ; and 
even then he was at the opposite side of a broad table, where 
I sat to take down the name and address of any new Mem- 
ber, in a book for that purpose. What would have been the 
consequence, had he even refused his belief, or if such testi- 
mony had been objected to, and set aside ? But no objection 
was made, and the trial went on. 

" THOMAS HARDY/' 
To Mr. Place, Dec. 6, 1824. 



APPENDIX. 123 

** nth June, IQn. 
'* My Dear Old Friend, 

" I DO not desire to kill you by working you to death, but I 
do desire to work you pretty well, so I send you Richter's 
copy of the Reports of the Secret Committees, in 1794, when 
murder, under legal forms, was to have been * the order of 
the day/ The notes are in Richter's hand writing, and in 
mine —those in my hand are correct copies of his made in 
pencil, copied by me lest they might be obliterated. Richter, 
like others, (not you,) promised me, for years, to put down 
on paper a number of facts respecting the London Corres- 
ponding Society ; but like others, (not you,) he never per- 
formed his promise. Since his death his widow has given me 
the book, and you will see, from the stile of the notes, that 
they must have been written in gaol, before the trials in 
November, 1794. Now I want you to look over the book, 
and to write any thing, and every thing which may occur to 
you, and then to let me have the book again. 

" I have often talked with Thelwall on the same subject, 
and he has sometimes promised to give me particulars ; he 
now says he shall never find time to do so, and that unless I 
complete the history of the London Corresponding Society, 
it never will be done by any body. He and I are to meet, 
and to talk over particular occurrences, and he is to tell me 
all he can, which I am to take down ; he has some memo- 
randums and papers, which he is to look out to assist us ; 
but * as time flies, and man dies,' we must set to work at 
once, and I have sent you your task, which I hope you will 
attend to, as becomes a good boy. 

•' Your's as usual, 

*' FRANCIS PLACE." 
To Thomas Hardy 



124 APPENDIX. 

COPY OF THOMAS HARDY'S COMMITMENT 
TO THE TOWER. 

" These are, in His Majesty's name, to authorize and require 
you to receive into your custody the body of Thomas 
Hardy, herewith sent you for High Treason, and you are to 
keep him safe and close until he shall be delivered by due 
course of law ; and for so doing this shall be your sufficient 
warrant, 

** From the Council Chamber ^ Whitehall^ this 29th da^ 
of May, 1794. 

(Signed) " DORSET, 

*' To our very good Lord the MONTROSE, 

Marquis Cornwallis, Chief SALISBURY, 

Governor of His Ma- CAMBDEN, 

jesty's Tower of London, ERED, CAMPBELL, 

or to his Deputy. APSLEY, 

AMHERST, 
AUCKLAND. 
C. F. GREVILLE, 
W. PITT, 

HENRY DUNDAS, 
THOMAS ORDE, 
" D. KINGHORN, Gentleman Gaoler, 
Tower of London,^* 

Agreeably to the above Warrant he was delivered into the 
custody of the Governor of the Tower, who consigned him 
to the care of two Warders, whose written orders were, 

** That the several persons now in the Tower, confined for 
High Treason, are not allowed communication with any per- 
son, without an order from His Majesty's Most Honourable 
Privy Council, notified to the Officer commanding in the 
Tower ; nor is pen, ink, paper, books, or newspapers, to be 
permitted the prisoner without a special order. 

" Signed, J. YORKE." 



APPENDIX. 125 

" The Warders are persons appointed to shew tbe armories, 
and other curiosities in the Tower. When on duty, their 
dress is like that of the Yeomen of the Guard, or Beef- 
eaters, at St. James's. They have also the charge of persons 
confined for State offences, for which each Warder is allowed 
17*. per week by Government. 

" The Warder is not permitted to leave his prisoner by day 
or night, without being regularly relieved by another. To 
each prisoner is also appointed a soldier to guard the outside 
of his room, as the Warder is guardian within. Every 
evening the Gentleman Gaoler attends to lock up the pri- 
soners and Warders, and he repeats his visit to open the 
doors, and see that all is safe, before he makes his daily 
report to the Governor. 

** Lodging is provided for each State prisoner by the 
Government, at one guinea per week ; and a further allow- 
ance is granted for board, according to the prisoner's rank in 
life. To the persons at that time confined, I3s. 4rf. was 
regularly paid every Monday morning by the Gaoler, and a 
receipt taken for it in a book which he had for that purpose. 

*' When Mr. Burke brought in his famous Bill for reforming 
the Civil List, in the year 1780, among the savings to the 
nation by that bill, a mighty one was effected, by the reduc- 
tion of the weekly allowance to the State prisoners in the 
Tower, from two guineas to 13s. 4d., which former pri- 
soners seldom accepted, but maintained themselves ; there- 
fore the two guineas, or the 13s. 4d, went as a perquisite to 
the Governor. The State prisoners, in the year 1794, were 
informed of these circumstances, and, being rather radically 
inclined, considered that the I3s. 4d, would be as well in their 
pockets as in that of the Governor, and they all resolved to 
receive it. 

*' THOMAS HARDY." 



126 APPENDIX. 

" Newbigging*s Hotels Lower Ryder Street, 
" May 9th, 1796. 
" Sir, 
" I AM directed by the Committee for conducting the State 
Trials Subscription, to transmit the following resolution to 
you, and to request a written answer. 

** Resolved, That the Chairman be requested to ask the 
Defendants on what grounds they advanced certain sums to 
Messrs. Clarksons pending the trials, whether as complimen- 
tary fees to them, or to defray the general expences. 

" I am. Sir, 

" Your obedient Servant, 

" WILLIAM MAXWELL." 



** Received, 6th Nov. 1794, of Mr. Thomas Hardy, by 
the hands of Mr. George Walne, the Sum of Eighty-Three 
Pounds, on account of Fees and Disbursements in Mr. Hardy's 
late Defence, at the Suit of the King, for High Treason, for 
Self and Brother. 

" GEORGE CLARKSON." 

N. B. The Sum of Ten Pounds Ten Shillings, for the 
receipt of which I gave a memorandum to Mr. Walne, is 
included in the above. 



" Sir, 
" Agreeably to a resolution of the Committee for Con- 
ducting the State Trial Subscriptions, which I received from 
you, as Chairman of that Committee, I have to represent to 
you the following things for your consideration. Being a pri- 
soner, I put my affairs into the hands of Mr. Walne, my 
brother-in-law, as an agent, (after the death of my wife,) to 



^ 



APPENDIX. 127 

manage for me in the best manner he was capable of. To 
him, therefore, I have applied for more accurate information 
respecting the sum of money paid to Messrs, Clarksons at 
different times on my account. He has stated, fairly, I be- 
lieve, in his Letter to me, for what purpose it was to be 
appropriated. I enclose his letter for your perusal and 
information. If there are any things which may not be so 
correctly stated as you could wish, he will readily give you, 
or the Committee, every information or explanation in his 
power that you may desire upon the subject. I have, like- 
wise, inclosed a copy of the receipt for the £83., which 
receipt Mr. G. Clarkson gave me on the next day after my 
acquittal, when I paid him ^20. of the sum. 

« I am. Sir, 

" Very respectfully, 

" THOMAS HARDY/' 

To William Maxwell, Esq, 
May 13, 1796. 

No part of the above named subscription came into my 
hands, and I believe no one of the persons whom it was de- 
signed to serve got a shilling. 

T. H. 



^\^t ISnti« 



Tilling, Printer, Chelsea. 



